Sapphire Fancourt and the Seer's Gift
by Amethyst Lovegood999
Summary: Sapphire Fancourt is returning to Hogwarts after a summer spent missing her fellow Ravenclaws and one particular handsome Gryffindor. Her grandmother, famous Seer Ocean Fancourt, makes her annual prediction for Sapphy's sixth year on Platform 9 3/4's and the reappearance of a mysterious Slytherin from her past leads her to wonder whether her Second Sight is a burden or a gift...
1. Chapter 1: A Ravenclaw Reunion

Sapphire Fancourt burst onto platform 9 and ¾, pushing her trolley a little too roughly. Onyx, her glossy black cat, threw Sapphy a look of annoyance as she righted her dignified position inside her opulent silver cage. Pushing fly-away, amethyst coloured hair off her face, Sapphy stopped to soothe her through the bars. Her excitement on the first day back at school always made her even clumsier than usual. Making use of her height, she stood on tiptoes, searching for her friends in the chattering crowd of students and parents. The billows of pearly smoke issuing from the Hogwarts Express hid them for now.

"Sapphy, wait a minute!"

Her older brother Peregrine had appeared by her side. Sapphy noticed two Hufflepuff fourth year girls to his left stop mid gossip to ogle him. Even taller and rangier than Sapphy, Perry's ash brown hair fell into the huge, pale grey eyes they had both inherited from their father. Oblivious of his admireres, Perry turned to help their grandmother through the barrier. "Oh, Merlin's ballsack, why must I get covered in soot every year," she grumbled, reaching for her wand to blast a black stain from her silky robes. As usual, Nan attracted almost as many interested stares from the witches and wizards on the platform as she had from Muggles on the way to Kings Cross station. Here, however, it was her fame rather than her dress sense that captured attention.

Ocean Fancourt was a well known Seer, celebrated by the Wizarding world for the impressive bibliography of books she had written on the subjects of Divination, the Inner-Eye and Astrology. At seventy-one she was still sprightly, with a long waterfall of silver hair that was dotted here and there with tiny beads of turquoise. She had refused, as always, to dress in a low key, "muggle friendly" manner for the journey, and was wearing intricate layers of lavender and peacock blue.

"I better say goodbye now, Nan," said Perry, looking anxious. "I have to make sure the new prefects know what to do." Solitary and reserved as he was, Perry had been made Head Boy. Privately, Sapphy wondered whether this was a good decision on Professor Dumbledore's part. She couldn't imagine the new prefects being able to hear his soft voice over the rumble of the train.

Nan had a very familiar, knowing look on her face and both Sapphy and Perry could anticipate what was coming next. "All right, Periwinkle," she sighed. "But I have something important to tell you before you go." She reached up to take his face in her wrinkled, bejewelled hands and began to speak.

_"When war erupts 'twixt heart and mind,_

_The soul must choose and the battle cease._

_For 'til this balance your soul can find,_

_All three will ever be without peace."_

Ocean smiled enigmatically while her words sunk in and a look of horror came over Perry's handsome features. She had never advised him about matters of the heart before and there was probably no subject Perry wished to discuss less.

"Yes, well, that's the…bye Nan, see you at the feast Sapphy," he gasped, kissed Ocean hastily and ran towards the train with a very pink face.

"And you," Ocean continued, turning to Sapphy.

_"To love means not to see no flaw,_

_Nor to be always without ire._

_For the truest love is a blend of awe,_

_with mirth and pity, all bathed in fire."_

"Can't you be a bit more specific, Nan?" Sapphy begged, exasperated. Ocean's strange mutterings at the train station always turned out to be prophetic advice for the year ahead which was only useful with hindsight.

"Your dreams will help you untangle it," she said with a wink. Sapphy had inherited Ocean's Second Sight, as well as her rather large, aquiline nose. "Now, look out for that old windbag Horace Slughorn, he'll try to cosy up to you both when he hears your second name," Nan said with a sigh.

"Who's-?"

"The new Potions master," explained Ocean. "And remember, as usual, not to take any notice of anything Sybil Trelawney says," she continued, a sudden edge to her usually ethereal voice. Ocean and Professor Trelawney had been arch-rivals at school, and their bitter animosity lived on.

"I might have Firenze again," said Sapphy brightly.

"Afraid not, my jewel. I had a little vision this morning over my porridge. And I can't say I wouldn't be disappointed either, by the look of him," said Ocean, with a twinkling smile. She gave Sapphy one last jasmine-scented hug, and disappeared into the crowd.

Sapphy stood still for a minute, pondering Nan's strange riddle. She had never given her advice about love before either, and it made her think of a certain handsome Gryffindor who seemed to be a permanent fixture in her thoughts these days. Noah Proudlock was a gorgeous, good-natured boy from the year above, with whom she had exchanged a kiss last term and some flirtatious letters over the summer. She scanned the platform for a while, half hoping to spot him, but also very nervous at the thought of it.

And suddenly her heart gave a lurch. She had spotted Lisa Turpin, her fellow Revenclaw and best friend. Lisa's tiny mother was fussing over her, pulling at the hem of her short skirt while her daughter flapped her away grumpily. As she bent to listen to Mrs. Turpin, her wavy, dark blonde hair hung in a shimmering curtain over her face and she didn't see Sapphy until her arms were around her. After a moment of surprise Lisa's blue-green eyes crinkled with happiness.

"Bloody hell Sapphy!"

Startled, Sapphy turned to find Lisa Turpin smiling at her delightedly through crinkled blue-green eyes. "You never mentioned this in your letters!" she said accusingly, running her hand through Sapphy's vibrant hair.

"I wanted to shock you," Sapphy laughed, throwing her arms around her friend. "Bewitched it a few weeks ago. It's finally stopped standing on end quite so much the last few days."

"I love it! Do you think it would work on mine?" Lisa said, examining her own dark blonde waves.

Mrs. Turpin, hovering at her daughter's side, looked scandalized. She was an avid worrier and because she and Mr. Turpin were both muggles, Hogwarts was an unknown entity with the potential for a dizzying array of potential dangers. She was staring at Sapphy in a way that seemed thoroughly disapproving. Sapphy decided to let them say goodbye alone, and started to try to haul her rose-wood trunk onto the train.

"Need a hand there, weakling?"

She glanced behind her to find Terry Boot towering over her, looking a foot taller than last term and very tanned.

"How was your summer?" she asked, pulling him into a hug.

"Great, until the O.W.L results arrived, " he sighed, grabbing her trunk and effortlessly throwing it on-board.

Terry's wizarding parents were obsessed with their sole dream - that their only son would become a Healer. It was a career in which Terry showed plenty of aptitude, but no interest whatsoever. Last May this had led him to do something that possibly no other Ravenclaw O.W.L student had ever done before; he had deliberately tried to fail his potions exam.

"Were they very disappointed with the mark?" Sapphy asked, trying to supress a grin. Though Terry's parents must have been unbearable to deal with, she couldn't help but find the whole situation funny.

"Not exactly. I got Outstandings all round - even in bloody potions," he said gloomily. "Remember me telling you I was sure the witch who was marking us was flirting with me?"

Sapphy's laughter escaped and even Terry had to join in. "So I actually came clean and told them the only thing I've ever wanted to do was work in the Department of Mysteries. They took it badly, but Mum did offer me an extra kipper for breakfast this morning so I think she's starting to get over it."

Having finally lost her mother, Lisa joined them with a hug for Terry and the three of them began to look for a compartment on the crowded train. "Ah, there's Artimus!" said Terry, spotting him through the glass of a compartment door and opening it. "Oh... and he's not alone," Terry finished sarcastically.

The girls peered around his shoulder and Artimus Moon looked up from a copy of The Quibbler with a serene smile. Sapphy noticed that his gravity-defying tangle of strawberry blonde curls looked even wilder than last year, a feat she hadn't thought possible. On the other side of the compartment, Mandy Brocklehurst and Anthony Goldstein were kissing fiercely.

"I don't think they noticed me sitting here when they came in," said Artimus, calmly gesturing at the tangle of limbs opposite him before taking a handful from a bag of cockroach cluster on the seat beside him.

"Hi Anthony. Hi Mandy. Good to see you, too," said Terry flatly.

Sapphy felt a pang of sympathy for him. Anthony and Terry had been inseparable from the first day of their first year, but falling in love with Mandy last year had taken its toll on their friendship. The couple reluctantly resurfaced as everyone sat down.

"Sorry," said Mandy, straightening her robes.

"Just making up for lost time," Anthony explained, slightly out of breath as he stood up. "I'll see you all later, I've got to go to the prefect carriage," he said with reluctance, pausing at the open door and looking very longingly at Mandy.

Tired of his friend's mushiness, Terry pushed him out and closed it with a bang. But a few seconds later, a tiny third year girl appeared in it's glass window and hesitated before knocking on it timidly.

"Clear off, Milly!" Mandy hissed at the girl. Everyone looked round at her in confusion. "She's my cousin," she explained grudgingly. "She's in Hufflepuff and as dumb as a rock. I SAID CLEAR OFF!" Mandy shouted as the girl knocked again. Tremblingly, she opened the door an inch.

"I have a note!" she squeaked. "For Sapphire F-Fancourt."

Now everyone turned to look at Sapphy, who was just as perplexed as they were. Milly handed her a scroll of parchment tied with a violet ribbon. Sapphy unrolled it and read,

"Sapphire,

I would be delighted if you could join me for a bite of lunch in compartment C.

Sincerely, Professor H.E.F Slughorn."

The faces surrounding her looked more puzzled than ever. "Its the new Potions teacher," explained Sapphy with a sigh.

"And he wants you to have lunch with him?!" Lisa cried incredulously, her brow wrinkled with suspicion.

"Nan mentioned him before she left," muttered Sapphy as she tried to remember Ocean's words. "She said he'd favour me and Perry. Because we're Fancourts," she said quickly, turning pink. Their last name had some cachè among the Wizarding community. Sapphy's great-grandmother was Perpetua Fancourt, inventor of the Lunascope. And then, of course, there was Ocean.

Mandy's eyes were narrowed jealously. "Who else are you giving these to?" she barked at Milly.

"C-Cormac McLaggen. Marcus Belby. Blaise Zabini-"

"Git," muttered Lisa.

"Neville Longbottom. And H-Harry Potter," Milly croaked, looking terrified at the thought of speaking to this final invitee.

"Right, so he's not favouring the cleverest students" said Mandy, looking relieved. "He's only interested in who you know, not what you know. If Granger hasn't been invited that says it all," she muttered with a grimace.

Mandy was one of the most intelligent witches in their whole year but like everyone else, she was invariably outshone by the ineffable Hermione Granger. Her mum, from Trinidad, was a muggle from whom Mandy had inherited caramel coloured skin, springy black hair and bright green eyes. Her dad was English and came from an old wizarding family from which Mandy was the first ever person to not be sorted into Hufflepuff. Sapphy often speculated that after always being the clever one growing up, meeting Hermione in first year must have been a terrible shock for Mandy - one that she was yet to get over.

"Thanks Milly," Sapphy said kindly. She stood up to close the door behind her before ripping up the note and taking her seat again.

"Not going then?" asked Terry.

"No," said Sapphy quietly. "I don't trust anyone who only likes me because of my Chocolate Frog card relatives."

The golden light from the windows dimmed gradually as the evening's sky became coloured with streaks of pink cloud. They were in the thick of the English countryside now. Before long, Anthony had returned with fellow Ravenclaw prefect Padma Patil. It was dark when the boys left so they could all change out of their muggle clothes into robes and they had no sooner returned than the train had pulled into Hogsmeade station. Jostled by the crowd and chattering excitedly, they made their way through the dark towards the carriages.

Suddenly a pair of large, Quidditch calloused hands clapped over Sapphy's eyes, surrounding her with darkness. Pulling them away, she found Noah Proudlock grinning down at her. Taking in his mop of windswept black hair, deep set dark blue eyes and dimpled smile, she realized that she had almost forgotten how handsome he was... The other Ravenclaws sniggered at her gormless expression as they climbed into the nearest carriage. All summer, Sapphy had been looking forward to this moment, yet as he pulled her by the hand into their own carriage she felt extremely shy.

"Hi," she said, in a small voice.

"Hi!" he laughed at her. "Your hair is brilliant!" he exclaimed, running his fingers through it.

She immediately felt more at ease. They had talked and joked together plenty of times last year and his kind, friendly demeanour was nothing to be scared of. He was still holding her hand, running his thumb over it. The carriage began to trundle away.

"How was your holiday?" she asked.

He had travelled with his family to Morocco for the last three weeks of the summer. "It was incredible. And -" he said, smiling at her slyly. "I got you a present."

Sapphy looked at him with surprise. He let go of her hand to delve into a pocket of his robes and produced a small, black velvet box which he handed her clumsily. She could tell that beneath his Griffyndor bravado he was nervous about the gift. She opened it. Inside was a moonstone pendant with a fine silver chain lay on a white satin cushion. It was beautiful.

Noah was fidgeting. "Do you like it?" he asked uncertainly.

"It's honestly the loveliest present anyone has ever given me," she said, feeling a little overwhelmed by how happy she felt.

He smiled delightedly and gave her a dizzying kiss.

As he threw an arm around her to keep her warm, Sapphy remembered her grandmother's advice. Ocean had warned her that loving someone was all about accepting their flaws - but how could she do that when he didn't have any?

Though this was Sapphy's sixth year at Hogwarts, it brought with it a first; a search of all students at the huge, oak doors of the Entrance Hall before they were permitted entry. An intimidating group of aurors oversaw Argus Filch as he prodded them all with a Secrecy Sensor, ostensibly looking for any Dark Objects and getting very het up over any merchandise from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Though Sapphy and Noah pretended to be impatient in the long queue, secretly they were both glad of the extra time in each other's company. All too soon, they had reached the Great Hall, and stood holding hands beneath the tapestry of stars mirroring the nights' sky. They kissed one last time.

"Why couldn't you be a Gryffindor?" Noah murmured wistfully.

"Because I'm a coward. Why couldn't you be a Ravenclaw?" she grinned.

"Because I'm kind of stupid," he sighed as she laughed. "Anyway... goodnight," he said with a wink, before heading away towards the far right of the hall. Sapphy took her place at the Ravenclaw table between Anthony and Lisa. A hush fell over the hall as the first-years filed in, led by Professor McGonagall.

"There's my little sister Rosie," said Anthony, pointing at one of them as they passed on their way towards the Sorting Hat at the top of the hall. She was the smallest of the girls with long, dark brown hair like her brother's and a round little face.

"Oh, she's so sweet," Lisa cooed.

"Yeah, she looks like butter wouldn't melt now. But you should see her during a temper tantrum, everything around her starts to explode. That's how I got this scar." He pulled the sleeve of his robes to reveal a tiny mark on his forearm. "From the time I wouldn't let her on my hobby-hippogriff," he explained. He looked haunted by the memory.

They quietened as the Sorting Hat began it's song, the theme of which seemed to be urging the four houses to unite against a common enemy.

"Not hard to understand what that's about," Terry muttered grimly above the anxious whispering that followed this. "Or who that 'common foe' might be."

An unnatural hush had fallen over the hall as the students were forced to remember what they all had been trying so hard to forget. At the beginning of the summer, the Ministry of Magic were forced to finally admit that You-Know-Who was definitely back and joined by the dangerous Death Eaters who had escaped from Azkaban the previous year. News of mysterious disappearances, acts of violence and even some deaths had become increasingly common in the months that followed. It was obvious that the wizarding world was re-entering very dark times. Sapphy was relieved when then the ceremony finally began. The distraction was welcome.

"Adams, Lilith," called Professor McGonagall from her long sheet of parchment.

A pale girl with a level stare pushed past Rosie and stalked over the the stool, sat and pulled the hat onto her head. There was a pause.

"SLYTHERIN!" cried the Sorting Hat and the table at Sapphy's left erupted in hisses and foot stamping.

"Aherne, Benan," called Professor McGonagall and a brown haired, freckly boy crept forward nervously to take the hat.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the Sorting Hat shrieked and a look of intense relief passed over Benan's freckly face.

"Amberley, Thadea," Professor McGonagall continued after Benan had been seated and the din of the Hufflepuff table had died down. An eager looking girl with a mop of wiry, black curls rushed forward.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the Sorting Hat. The far right end of the hall roared and clapped. Sapphy could see Noah clapping heartily on the other side of the hall. She felt herself drifting away into a day-dream about their kiss earlier that night...

"Goldstein, Rosie," announced Professor McGonagall, and Sapphy snapped out of it to watch Anthony's sister make her way to the stool daintily, and lift the hat onto her head with trembling hands.

"Come on, Rosie…" Anthony whispered through gritted teeth.

Without much of a pause, the hat screamed "RAVENCLAW!" and Rosie grinned widely. She ran to their table, where they all congratulated her with many hand-shakes and pats on the back. Anthony proudly made room for his sister .

Finally, the sorting ended and the feast appeared. Sapphy hadn't realized how hungry she was until she began to devour a glorious plate of honey glazed vegetables and baked salmon. The Hogwarts house elves seemed to be out-doing themselves every year. She noticed that Rosie was staring at Artimus with round eyes. His plate was piled high with parsnips - and nothing else. They had nearly finished when the huge doors of the hall creaked open and everyone turned to see one last late-comer striding through them.

"It's Harry!" Lisa cried joyfully, and hastily got to her feet to crane her neck for a better view.

Lisa had been passionately in love with Harry Potter ever since their first year but , unfortunately, one of the side effects of her love was her inability to speak to him - or to speak in his presence. This meant that though she had regularly attended DA meetings last year, she had never been capable of doing much more than splutter and stare at Harry as he made his way around the Room of Requirement. Despite this, when he was not around, Lisa was very vocal about her support for Harry and had always stood up for him no matter what people were saying; from rumors that he was the heir of Slytherin to mutterings that he was responsible for Cedric Diggory's death. Now that everyone's opinion was turning back in his favour, and he was being called 'The Chosen One', Lisa could smugly say "I told you so!" Which she did, often.

Harry's relationship with the beautiful Cho Chang had brought with it many tearful nights in the girls Ravenclaw dormitory, but now it seemed that hope was not lost. Last term, Mandy and Anthony had witnessed what looked like the most disastrous date in the history of Valentine's Day when they were half smooching, half spying in Madam Puddifoot's tea shop. And when ("that sneak") Marietta Edgecomb had betrayed them all to Umbridge, one happy outcome was that Harry and Cho seemed to be finished for good.

"I think he looked at me," Lisa confided breathlessly, sitting back down with a thump and staring fixedly at the table. The empty dinner plates disappeared and every conceivable type of pudding, dessert and cake took their place. "Aren't you going to have anything?" Sapphy asked Lisa through a mouthful of almond tart. Her friend was turned almost fully in her seat and gazing at the Gryffindor table. "I can't eat... knowing he's so close..." she breathed. Sapphy felt slightly alarmed. Lisa's obsession seemed to have increased in intensity over the summer.

Sapphy was helping herself to a cup of tea when she felt a cold presence hovering over her left shoulder. She looked up to see the Grey Lady looking down with an expression somewhere between envy and revulsion. "One good thing about being dead, you know," she said in her mournful, melodic voice, "is being thin." Her wispy white hands skimmed over her slender hips. "But one does miss something sweet," she sighed, and with her waist length hair flying out behind her she whooshed through Sapphy and disappeared through the wall.

After the plates cleared, Professor Dumbledore got to his feet at the staff table. The talk and laughter echoing around the Hall died away almost instantly.

"The very best of evenings to you!" he said, smiling broadly, his arms opened wide as if to embrace the whole room and a few of the Ravenclaws surrounding Sapphy gasped. Dumbledore's right hand had caught their attention; it was blackened and shrivelled, looking as though his flesh had been burned away. Whispers swept the room; Dumbledore, interpreting them correctly, merely smiled and shook his purple and gold sleeve over his injury.

"Nothing to worry about," he said airily. "Now... to our new students, welcome; to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of magical education awaits you and Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to say that there is a blanket ban on any joke items bought at the shop called Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Those wishing to play for their house Quidditch teams should give their names to their Head's of House as usual. We are also looking for new Quidditch commentators, who should do likewise."

"Oooh, Luna!" Sapphy heard a fifth-year girl exclaim from further up the table. "You should apply!"

"We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year. Professor Slughorn," Slughorn stood up, his bald head gleaming in the candlelight, his big waistcoated belly casting the table below in shadow, "is a former colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master. Professor Snape, meanwhile," said Dumbledore, raising his voice over all the muttering that had filled the hall, "will be taking over the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"That's a brilliant choice," Mandy remarked scathingly. "Giving an ex Death Eater the job!"

"Actually, it is a brilliant choice," Artimus replied quietly. "Who better than someone who knows from the inside how Voldemort operates?"

"Artimus," yelped Padma Patil. "Don't say his name!"

Dumbledore cleared his throat, seeming to be looking in their direction. Two bright red patches rose on Padma's cheeks. "Now, as everyone in this Hall knows, Lord Voldemort and his followers are once more at large and gaining in strength. I cannot emphasise strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much care each of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we remain safe. The castle's magical fortifications have been strengthened over the summer, we are protected in new and more powerful ways, but we must still guard scrupulously against carelessness on the part of any student or member of staff. I urge you, therefore, to abide by any security restrictions that your teachers might impose upon you, however irksome you might find them - in particular, th rule that you are not to be out of bed after hours. I implore you should you notice anything strange or suspicious within or outside the castle, to report it to a member of staff immediately. I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with the utmost regard for your own and each others safety."

Dumbledore's blue eyes swept over the students before he smiled once more.

"But now, your beds await, as warm and comfortable as you could possibly wish, and I know your top priority is to be well rested for your lessons tomorrow. Let us therefore say goodnight. Pip pip!"

Everyone was abuzz as they climbed the winding spiral staircase to Ravenclaw tower. While Perry led the way, he was busy distracting Rosie and her new friends from Dumbledore's unnerving speech by telling them what to expect following breakfast the next morning. When they reached the top of the stairs they found a large group huddled outside the handle-less common room door.

"We can't figure out the question," Michael Corner admitted grumpily. He knocked again with the bronze eagle, who repeated the riddle in a high, sing-song voice.

"What always runs, but never walks? Often murmurs, never talks? Has a bed but never sleeps? Has a mouth but never eats?"

"Oh! A river!" said a small second-year girl from the very back of the group.

"Well executed," the eagle knocker congratulated her, and the door swung open to admit them to the airy, blue and bronze draped, circular common room. The first years ooohed at the high, wide windows and star spangled ceiling.

"See these bookcases?" Perry said smilingly, indicating the shelves that lined each wall. "They're enchanted to hold more books than there are in the entire library downstairs. And just wait til morning time, the view from our tower it the best in the school. You'll see; it's good to be a Ravenclaw."


	2. Chapter Two: Affronted in Astronomy

When she awoke the next morning, it took Sapphy a minute to realize where she was. Her dream had been very real, but upon waking she immediately forgot what it was about. She lay quietly for a moment, still private behind the blue, raw silk drapes of her four poster bed.

"Morag, I hope you're not actually going to wear those socks," came the sound of Mandy's despairing voice.

"Well obviously I am, since I put them on!" came Morag McDougals fierce reply. Sapphy's curiosity got the better of her and she emerged to discover that Morag had accessorized her uniform with blue and grey, knee high, argyle socks. Morag had a no nonsense disposition, chestnut brown hair that was even madder than Artimus's and a passion for tartan patterned clothing.

Stretching sleepily, Sapphy looked out at the spectacular view from their tower and was pleased to see that the weather was good for their first day. The sky was serenely blue, and streaked with wisps of cloud. After getting dressed, Sapphy took the moonstone pendant carefully out of it's box and put it on, admiring in the mirror the way it seemed to emanate a bluish purple glow in the morning light.

"Ahh, the prefect's bathroom really is so soothing," said Padma Patil breezily. She was wrapped in a fluffy white towel and had brought an overpowering smell of violets with her as she re-entered the dormitory. The rest of the Ravenclaw girls left abruptly, coughing as they went.

Sapphy was finishing her breakfast of porridge and fruit when her Nan's great grey owl, Phantom, landed gracefully beside her and deposited a letter. Sapphy stroked her beautiful grey feathers for a moment before Phantom nodded her head and took off again. The letter was addressed in Ocean's flowery script with her favourite lilac ink. But before she could open it, Noah appeared at her elbow.

"Morning," he said, and smiled when he saw the moonstone glinting over her robes. "I was wondering would you like to go for a walk around the lake after dinner?" he asked hopefully.

"I'd love to," Sapphy said, feeling her cheeks redden as Terry and Kevin Entwhistle snickered and made smooching noises at her from across the table. She shot them a dark look.

"Great," said Noah, who had heard but didn't seem to care. "I'll meet you at the door of the Entrance hall?"

She nodded happily and he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "See you then. I can't be late for Herbology. I'm trying to turn over a new leaf," he grinned. "Sorry. That was terrible."

"Puns are pretty much the way to my heart," she blurted out.

He laughed and gave her a quick kiss before darting away.

On either side of her, Lisa and Mandy were bursting with excitement. She put the letter away to read later.

"You are simply too adorable together," gushed Lisa, fingering the moonstone pendant with a dreamy look on her face.

As the hall emptied, the Ravenclaw's along with the other sixth years queued up to speak to Professor Flitwick and get their schedules for the term.

Artimus was ahead of Sapphy and as they reached the top off the queue she couldn't resist eavesdropping in on his discussion with Flitwick. Sapphy had a feeling that his choices of subjects would be interesting.

"Outstanding grade in Charms, glad to be seeing you back in my classroom my boy!" squeaked Flitwick. "And Outstanding in Divination and Arithmancy, so you may keep them on of course. Exceeds Expectations in Potions , I'm sure Professor Slughorn will accept that. And I see you have applied to begin Alchemy. Well, given your results I think you are more than capable. Now, Alchemy is a specialized subject, and the class will be very small as usual. But even so, the theories and principles are notoriously difficult and we always assign the younger students with a tutor from the year above. Professor Bracegirdle will tell you more."

Artimus thanked Professor Flitwick and wandered away, absentmindedly scratching his head with a pheasant feather quill. He waited for Sapphy by the door of the Great Hall; Divination was their first class of the day and everyone knew that was a subject Sapphy would be keeping on.

"Now Sapphire… Exceeds Expectations in Charms, History of Magic and Ancient Runes… all fine to continue. I must say I was very pleased with your Charms mark." He beamed at her. "And of course, with Outstanding's in Divination and Astronomy there are no problems there. Well done, Miss Fancourt," he squeaked, handing her the schedule.

Given her family background it wasn't hard to understand why Divination was her best subject. She penetrated the clouds of a crystal ball effortlessly, distinguished the meaning of tarot card spreads with ease and was often approached when someone found an odd formation of tea leaves in their morning cup. But during her O.W.L year, Firenze had confirmed what she suspected all along; that these were crude methods, barely scratching the surface and concerning the mundane. He had been an inspiring teacher and she was keen to learn more about the divination methods of the Centaurs.

So she was disappointed, but unsurprised, when Ocean's prediction came true and Professor Flitwick told her found that Professor Trelawney would be taking the Sixth years.

Artimus felt the same. "She's as mad as a bag of spiders," he stated matter-of-factly, as they climbed the North Tower to her stuffy little classroom. Privately, Sapphy felt that this was a case of the pot calling the kettle cracked.

It didn't take long after they had entered the too warm, overly fragrant attic class-room for Trelawney to prove Artimus right. "Oh Sapphire, my dear, I'm so glad that the facial deformity I've Seen in your future hasn't befallen you yet," was her dramatic greeting as she blinked deranged behind her oversized spectacles, looking quite deranged. "I assume it will be upon you by the end of the week." Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil looked at Sapphy with expressions of deep sympathy.

A long, dubious lesson on the Zodiac followed. When it finally came to an end, Sapphy got up with some effort from one of the squashy arm chairs, her head spinning from the scent of incense. As she made her way towards the trap door Professor Trelawney called out. "Wait a moment please Sapphire!"

Full of dread, Sapphy turned back to her teacher. She knew what was coming - the usual bi-annual inquisition about Ocean's activities over the summer.

"The tarot cards show that your grandmother is writing a book!" Trelawny probed, her magnified, bulging eyes blinking rapidly at Sapphy from behind her thick glasses.

"Yes," said Sapphy, guessing that the "crystal ball" who had informed of this was probably Cassandra Verblatsky, a friend the two ladies shared who enjoyed igniting arguments between the two for entertainment on particularly boring weeks.

"And this spread included the Seven of Swords, Sapphire," Trelawny said testily, pouring herself the last of her tea into a dinky, willow patterned cup. From the waft of cooking sherry in the air, Sapphy suspected that it wasn't just tea. "Can you recall the meaning of that card, my dear?" Trelawney asked with a slight slur.

"Upright, it means deception, betrayal, the attempt to get away with something undetected," Sapphy said easily.

"It is the card of plagiarism, Sapphire! The card of taking glory that isn't due to you. The card of passing off the brilliance of another, far superior - yet tragically underrated - Seer, as one's own! A lot of my own notes, full of significant predictions, have mysteriously disappeared from my quarters. And don't think for a moment I don't know where they might be!" Trelawney said, gesticulating so wildly that one of the sleeves of her long shawl dipped into the tea cup.

"Your grandmother should take heed of this clear warning that I give you, my dear. She won't get away with it this time! And I do hope you shall pass this message along to her," she cooed, all concern. "Because we all know she can't See past the end of that big nose." This was muttered under her breath.

"The Seven of Swords reversed," Sapphy said as she suppressed a smirk, "means letting go of negative patterns, old ways of thinking and resentments."

"It was upright!" Trelawny squawked, this time upsetting the tea-cup in it's saucer. "Anyway. I congratulate you on your O.W.L. mark, my dear," she said, mopping up the spill with one of her scarves. "At least there is one talented member of that family."

"Thank you, Professor. Er, I really must be getting to my next class." But Trelawny wasn't keen to end the conversation.

"She still hasn't returned my owl about the bet we made on the Quidditch World Cup you know!" These were her final words, as Sapphy finally managed to escape through the trap door.

She was relieved to enter the quiet, peaceful Ancient Runes classroom, where she sat beside Hermione Granger and was given an obscene amount of homework. She found Lisa in the girls bathroom during break. "You should have seen Harry stand up to Snape in Defense Against the Dark Arts," she swooned, attempting a lengthening spell on her eyelashes in the mirror. "He's amazing at Shield Charms."

"Well, I think he probably needs to be," Sapphy mused, thinking of Dumbledore's speech.

"I keep asking Artimus whether Luna Lovegood has told him anything about being at the Ministry of Magic with him, so that he might get so sick of me that he actually asks her," she explained. Artimus and Luna could often be seen practising the art of levitation together in the Ravenclaw common-room. "But you know him, he's never gossiped about anyone in his life. They're probably so busy talking about Alchemy theories or gnargles, or something equally bizarre, that they never get around to it. _Elongatio,_" she said, prodding her eyelashes.

Suddenly a loud group of fourth year Gryffindor girls piled into the bathroom. They were led by Romilda Vane, a girl from the year below. "You know tall, dark and the Chosen One has always been my type," she was telling her friends, walking with a slight swagger. "My aim is to make him my boyfriend by the end of term. Imagine my parent's faces when I bring him home for Christmas dinner!" The girls laughed excitedly as they flocked around Romilda as she preened.

There was a yelp from the other mirror. As she heard Romilda's words, blue sparks had flown out of Lisa's wand and singed her eyelashes. The Gryffindor girls tittered as Sapphy fixed it, trying not to laugh herself. When her eyelashes looked normal, Lisa stormed past a baffled Romilda out of the bathroom.

"You know, sometimes I hate the Gryffindors almost as much as the Slytherins," she fumed as she stomped along the corridor. This seemed like an exaggeration to Sapphy, who was hurrying to keep up. "What about the time in second year when Draco Malfoy and those other cretins all started calling you the "M" word?" she reminded her.

"Ok, they're not in the same league. But still," Lisa spat, throwing a bewildered Neville Longbottom a very nasty look as he passed. "They're so disgustingly extroverted, so obnoxious, so nauseatingly confident..."

Sapphy laughed.

"Except Harry, of course," Lisa chirped, happy again at the mere thought of him. "And Noah," she added generously.

Sapphy and Noah were holding hands and admiring the beautiful sunset that was reflected by the lake. It was a warm evening, but Sapphy was a little shivery from the excitement of being so close to him. Noah was happy to have this excuse to pull her into his arms. They were quiet for a moment.

"I got a letter from my Nan this morning," Sapphy said in a soft voice. Noah looked at her with interest. His parents were both muggles and he was still learning about some facets of the wizarding world. He found Ocean, and her Sight, especially interesting. Sapphy had always been reluctant to talk about the fact that she herself had The Sight. It wasn't exactly a secret, and he knew she was skilled at Divination but she had never fully explained that she was likely to become more and more like Nan over time. Other people - their pasts, fears, secret desires, fates - would become less and less obscured to her.

Among her close friends she was more open - but only Nan, her mother and Perry knew everything. Some of the things she saw weren't the kinds of things people wanted to hear about. And she was afraid that Noah would find her too strange, if she told him the whole truth.

"The letter was about the properties of moonstone," she said, enjoying the look of incredulity on his face. He laughed appreciatively. "I'm guessing you didn't get a chance to tell her about the necklace yet?"

"No," she smiled, and touched the pendant. "Apparently the Romans believed moonstone was solidified rays of moonlight. And she said that if I lay it in a beam of light from the full moon and wear it to bed, I'll have beautiful dreams."

Ocean had also written that if a man gave his lover a moonstone necklace during a full moon, their love would last an eternity. But there was no way she was telling Noah that.

"So when is the next full moon?" he asked, gently pushing her silky hair off her face.

"Not til next week," she smiled.

"You talk about your Nan a lot, and Perry and your Mum. What's your Dad like?" he asked.

"My dad died before I was born," Sapphy said with a sad smile. "I know what he was like from what Nan and Mum have told me. But I wish I had met him so I could know for myself."

"I wish you had too," Noah murmured. He looked very sad for her and squeezed her hand. "What happened?"

"A few months before I was born, Death Eaters came to our house. They were looking for my Nan, and my great aunt Perpetua. They were both brilliant witches and You Know Who wanted to recruit them to his side. There were powerful protective charms and shields around our house, but when they approached, my father went outside to fight them off. There were five of them. It was a man named Mulciber who cast the killing curse. He was sent to Azkaban after You Know Who went into hiding."

Noah shook his head, and she saw how angry he was.

"Your Nan…" Noah began, but seemed uncertain about whether he should ask the question, but she knew what it was, of course.

"Yes, she knows more than most about what's coming. But knowing is different than being able to prevent it."

"I worry everyday about my own Mum and Dad," he admitted. "I know that the last time, a lot of muggles were killed as well as wizards. And I know what I am to them." His jaw jutted out defiantly.

A sudden shout startled them and they looked up to see Argus Filch gesticulating angrily at them from across the lake. It was dusk and they weren't allowed outside the castle after dark. Laughing, they both ran back to the doors of the Entrance Hall as Filch limped after them threatening a month of detentions.

The next day, Sapphy made her way towards the Astronomy tower for her last class. She was tired after a morning of a difficult Charms lesson and catching up on a History of Magic essay. She hadn't meant to lose track of time with Noah last night and it was late by the time she had done enough that she could go to bed.

It had been worth it though, she thought, and drifted dreamily up the stairs before realising she was late and hurrying the rest of the way.

"Sorry, Professor Sinistra," she said, looking around the classroom. She had almost forgotten how stunning it was. It was a huge oval dome, with the heavens depicted on the walls and ceiling. At night, the view was that of the real night's sky, but during the day it was conjured by an enchantment.

"Welcome back, Miss Fancourt," Professor Sinistra greeted her in her warm, deep voice. Though Sapphy was often late, she was one of the Professor's favourite students. She got excellent marks and was always engaged and interested. Being the grand-niece of the inventor of the Lunascope helped too, she supposed. She smiled back. An aura of calm followed Professor Sinistra everywhere, and Sapphy instantly felt more relaxed.

And then she realised that the only free seat was beside Blaise Zabini. He was leaning back languidly, and staring at her with his golden-green coloured eyes. Sapphy's stomach dropped.

She sat down gingerly and was annoyed to find that Zabini was looking at her hair, quite openly too. She glanced at him crossly, expecting him to turn away, but he stared back intensely and without a trace of embarrassment. She couldn't help being struck by those golden eyes and she noticed that he had acquired a tiny silver stud in his nose. As Professor Sinistra began to talk, she felt like she was coming out of a trance. She shook her head and tried to pay attention.

"To begin the term, we will be learning about the planet Venus, also known as "Hesperus" or "the morning star" to the Ancient Greeks, and "Lucifer" or "Light-bringer" to the Romans. The planet's contemporary name is derived from that of the Roman Goddess of love, beauty and femininity. "

With her wand, Professor Sinistra extinguished the candles dotting the walls, and drew a shining, blue circle around a bright star on the domed ceiling.

"To the Greeks, Venus was Aphrodite, a Goddess born from sea foam and the fluid, feminine counterpart to Mars, the God of fire and war…"

Half way through the lecture, Sapphy realized that she was paying more attention to the steady sound of Blaise Zabini's breath than to Professor Sinistra. Was it her imagination, or had he edged nearer since the class began? She was very aware of their closeness. If she looked sideways to the left, without turning her head, she could just about see his profile through the darkness.

He watched Professor Sinistra's movements lazily. The brightness of the stars overhead illuminated his sharp cheek bones, brow bones, his lips. Then, Sapphy felt the warm weight of his hand on the bare space between the hem of her skirt and her stocking. A jolt went through her entire body. She gasped with shock. A split second longer than she should have, she tore her gaze away, pushed his hand off her as forcefully as she could and moved to the very edge of the desk. Professor Sinistra didn't falter and his expression remained unchanged. Unable to concentrate on the lecture, Sapphy tried to get her breathing to return to normal.

The bell rang, and the candles were ablaze again. Furiously, Sapphy packed up her belongings without a glance in Zabini's direction. Suddenly, he had grabbed her wrist. She gasped, and tried to twist it away, but he wouldn't let go. "Look at me," he murmured, and she was forced to meet his golden eyed gaze. She could see that his usually haughty features were gone now. He looked wrong-footed, unhappy… and undeniably gorgeous.

She blushed, unable to speak. Then her anger rushed to her aid.

"How dare you do that, that was-"

He interrupted her and she was glad, because she didn't have the faintest idea of what she was going to say.

"I apologize, Sapphire, sincerely."

He looked it, too. But suddenly she remembered his twelve-year-old face, jeering as Draco Malfoy called Lisa "mudblood". She thought of Noah. She was trembling, with rage, and a kind of exhilaration that disturbed her. She needed to get away, but when she turned he took her arm again. He went to speak and she was terrified at what he might say. "Stop!" she said, glancing around the classroom.

She lowered her voice. "What happened before… near the forest, that was… it was a mistake."

His beautiful face hardened. She leaned towards him to deliver her final blow.

"I'd never be interested in a prejudiced, purist poser like you. So keep your hands to yourself from now on," she hissed.

They were locked together, glaring at each other, when Sapphy became aware of the interested stares of Susan Bones and another Hufflepuff girl, as they ambled out of the classroom. She threw Zabini one last filthy look, and took flight.


	3. Chapter 3: Try-outs and Throw-backs

Over the next few weeks as the castle became cooler and more draughty, even the Ravenclaw sixth years began to realise that studying for their N.E.W.T.'s really was as nastily exhausting as the name suggested. Though Sapphy and her friends were used to getting top marks with little effort, they were now straining to keep up. In a way, Sapphy was glad to be so busy - without an idle moment her mind couldn't drift back to that night in the Astronomy tower. While she wasn't in the library she was spending precious and blissful hours with Noah in the grounds of the castle before darkness fell. She still had to see Zabini in Astronomy lessons of course, but she sat well away from him and studiously ignored his glances.

She couldn't help but notice a change in him, however. Sapphy had always possessed the ability to See aura - coloured light that emanated from a person and which changed according to mood. Some people's auras were barely perceptible, and the colours were washed out and pastel - or dark and muddy. Others were vibrant and effervescent - Lisa, for example, had stunned Sapphy on their first day of school when she had seen the beautiful, turquoise glow that surrounded her.

Zabini had always interested Sapphy mildly, because although they had never spoken before their fourth year, he had one of these unusual auras; he radiated a deep, crimson glow that had always drawn her eyes to him when their paths crossed. Ocean had taught her the symbolism of colours as a child and she knew his dark aura denoted power, a strong will, passion. But the colour had changed, she had seen, upon their return to school. It was brighter, a violent red that she couldn't remember ever seeing surrounding anyone else. It was unmissable and seemed to burn and pulse out of the corner of her eye.

On the cold, drizzly morning of the Quidditch try-outs, Sapphy and Lisa strolled towards the pitch arm in arm, cosily wrapped up in warm cloaks. They were looking forward to seeing Noah and Harry in action and glad to be free of the Ravenclaw common room where they had been practising the Augamenti charm all of the previous evening; Mandy had gotten the hang of it straight away and had been startling everyone with unexpected jets of cold water to the face ever since. They reached the pitch, which was thronged with Gryffindors in their Quidditch gear. Sapphy spotted Noah who was looking nervous and distracted while he listened to Cormac McLaggen who was regaling him with a long, detailed list of saves he had performed in the past. She tugged on the his sleeve of Noah's red and gold robes and he gave her a dimpled smile.

"Thank God you saved me from that idiot," he muttered as they sloped away. "Can I have a kiss for luck?"

Noah was determined to finally play as a Beater on the Quidditch team. He had always only just missed out to the Weasley twins in his first four years at school, and last year had been banned from playing by Dolores Umbridge after he had smuggled a Niffler into her office. Sapphy kissed him, knowing he didn't need luck. In an advanced crystal gazing lesson given by Professor Trelawney earlier in the week, she had gotten bored and decided to investigate whether he would make the team while staring into the clouded ball - she had seen him celebrating.

He went to take his place in one of the flying groups with McLaggan and Sapphy and Lisa walked to the stands where there were free seats beside the Patil twins and Lavender Brown. "Girls, sit here with us," called Padma bossily and the two sat down with some reluctance. Lisa had held a long grudge against Parvati ever since she had gone to the Yule ball with Harry Potter in fourth year and Padma, who had always been slightly stuck up, had become even more difficult to bear since becoming prefect.

"So Sapphy, Noah Proudlock - are you going out with him or not?" asked Parvati while Lavender giggled and Padma pretended to disapprove of her sister's nosiness - while being secretly interested.

"I don't really know," Sapphy said shyly.

"Oh nonsense," said Lisa. "He gave her this necklace, show them!" she cried and made a dive for the collar of Sapphy's cloak. Sapphy fended her off.

"Well that's the last good looking guy in the school taken," Parvati said gloomily.

"That's not true," said Lavender, as she watched Ron Weasley zoom around the Quidditch pitch, a dreamy expression on her face.

"I can't believe you'd ever consider him after that warning Professor Trelawney gave us in third year," Parvati said, sounding annoyed. "'Beware a red haired man?'"

"She warned you, not me!" Lavender said indignantly. "And she probably meant Artimus Moon, remember he set fire to your robes during our Transfiguration practical? Anyway, Ron's an amazing keeper and he fought off Death Eaters at the Ministry last year," she swooned while Padma rolled her wide, brown eyes. "I don't care what colour his hair is."

"Oh, yes, what a catch!" scoffed Padma. "I went to the Yule Ball with him, Lavender, and until I ditched him it was the worst night of my life."

Lavender shrugged and affected a haughty expression of indifference.

"Anyway, what about Hermione Granger?" asked Lisa in a hushed tone. Hermione was sitting not far from them, and while she was ostensibly absorbed by the tryouts, Sapphy got the impression that she was eavesdropping with all her might.

"What about her?" whispered Lavender huffily, though with a slightly guilty expression. "Didn't you read that Witch Weekly article about her in fourth year? It's Harry that Hermione is interested in."

Lisa gave Sapphy a look of horror.

"English boys are a waste of time," Padma said with disdain, as she watched Noah whack a bludger that sped violently and connected sickeningly with Harry Potter's head.

"Padma is still still going out with Leon from Beauxbatons," Parvati explained. "That is, if you consider being pen-pals the same as going out..."

"Shut up," Padma hissed. "You're just jealous that Remy never replied to _your_ letter. Anyway, it doesn't really matter that there's no-one fanciable here, since Mum and Dad will probably be making us leave any day now."

Parvati's face fell and her sister sat back looking grimly satisfied.

"Really?" Lisa asked. She started to bite at her thumbnail.

"They're talking about it," Parvati said, her expression grave. "They sent us a letter about how dangerous it is at Hogwarts right now. Dad's a muggle born and Mum is worried that we'll be in danger from the Death Eaters if anything happens. I don't care what they say, though. Being murdered by them has got to be better than being stuck at home in the countryside."

"What a stupid thing to say," snapped Padma, as she looked apologetically at Sapphy. "Anyway, I'm not going to be stuck in the countryside because I'm going to ask them to relocate to Cannes."

The rest of the try-outs passed to a soundtrack of the twins bickering. As Sapphy had predicted, Noah was made Beater and his rowdy Gryffindor friends all rushed onto the pitch to congratulate him. "Well done Noah!" she called as he was hoisted onto their shoulders and carried back towards the castle to drink some butter beers.

"Sorry Noah's girlfriend… Ruby or whatever you're called, Noah has no time for snogging. He needs to come and drink butterbeers with us now," said a very large boy in a booming voice as he started carrying him away.

"Nice friends, Noah," Li called sardonically. "So charming!"

"Hey, we're not all that bad," another boy said apologetically. He had blonde hair and a very friendly smile - his aura was pleasingly rosy and Sapphy took an instant liking to him.

"Yes Noah, it seems that one of your friends at least speaks at a decibel level below deafening," said Lisa.

Noah seemed to be trying to apologise too, but he was laughing too much, and when Sapphy looked around after a minute, he had been carted off.

She had been distracted. The Slytherin captain, Grant Urquhart, had been waiting impatiently from the side of the pitch; he wasted no time in gathering the group of silver and green robed hopefuls around him as he rasped instructions. One of them was Blaise Zabini who didn't seem to be listening, but watching Sapphy.

"C'mon," said Sapphy hastily, pulling Lisa away and they began to trudge back towards the castle, both very cold and wet now. After a while, Sapphy realised she wasn't the only distracted one. Her friend was uncharacteristically quiet and she suspected that she might have been thinking about what the twins' had said about Hogwarts being dangerous.

"Sapphy, you don't happen to See anything bad happening to me, do you?" said Lisa after a while, in a casual, off-hand voice that sounded a bit forced. "Perhaps something like You Know Who taking over Hogwarts to torture and slay all the muggle-borns?"

Sapphy wrapped an arm around her.

"Because I hope you'd tell me if you did… or maybe I don't want to know…"

"No," Sapphy said honestly. She knew that Lisa would be safe. She knew the Patil twins would, too.

Glad to be in from the cold, they entered the Great Hall for dinner. After a warming stew the girls began to make their way up the marble staircase to return to Ravenclaw tower. As they entered they heard shouting and, looking around, saw Michael Corner and Cho Chang in a blazing row at a table in the corner. Taking a seat where Terry and Kevin sat playing chess by the fire, Sapphy couldn't help but turn to watch; the common room was quiet as many of the other Ravenclaws were also staring and trying to listen. Seeming to realise this, Cho suddenly got to her feet and ran towards her dormitory with a sob. Marietta Edgecombe, still quite spotty from last term, followed.

"What's going on there?" Lisa asked intently, bearing down on the boys. She was always careful to keep tabs on Cho's love life just in case she happened to pick back up where she left off with Harry Potter.

"She heard something about Michael 'spending a lot of time' with Megan Jones just before the Quidditch try-outs," Kevin explained sarcastically. "That's why she played so badly. Nearly lost out to Sarah Fawcett." Being Michael's best friend they took it that he was a good authority on the matter. Sapphy and Padma exchanged looks of sympathy for Cho. Megan Jones was a buxom Hufflepuff girl with honey coloured hair, big doe eyes and not much sense.

"I heard that, Kevin," came the sound of Michael's angry voice as he joined them, slumping moodily in one of the blue, wing-backed arm-chairs. "What are you looking at?" he said fiercely to a pair of timid first years who walked past quickly in alarm.

"So you're saying you haven't been playing footsie with her during those long study sessions at the library?" Kevin asked in a flat tone, as he urged his bishop to annihilate Terry's queen.

"We're just friends!" Michael cried, and Sapphy could tell that this was one of many times he had said this that day. "I've been helping her with her Arithmancy homework."

"Eloise Midgeon has been struggling with Arithmancy too, Michael," said Terry innocently. "Have you been helping her as well?" Everyone sniggered.

Michael looked enraged for a second, then slumped back in his seat as though defeated.

"None of this would have happened if Daphne bloody Greengrass hadn't seen us in the library," he moaned.

Daphne Greengrass was a Slytherin girl who was known and feared by everyone at Hogwarts for two things. She was famous for being intimidatingly beautiful with a thick mane of long, glossy dark hair, pale, creamy skin and striking silvery blue eyes. And she was _in_famous for the hellish rumours she was known to begin, spread and perpetuate with the help of her sidekick, Tracey Davis; these rumours were a nasty blend of truth and embellishment, perfectly concocted to cause optimum damage.

These two glamorously bad girls were also known to be some of the worst rule benders and breakers in all of Slytherin; yet Sapphy also knew that Daphne got the top marks in the History of Magic class they shared. She supposed that intelligence was necessary to build up the Encyclopaedic knowledge Daphne seemed to have accumulated of every embarrassing, shameful or incriminating secret of every student in the entire school.

"Well look on the bright side, Michael," said Kevin bracingly. "You don't have to worry about her still being in love with Potter anymore. You were always going on about that." He whooped in triumph as his rook took down another of Terry's knights.

But Michael could not be cheered and he sloped off towards the boys dormitories.

"Prat," Padma muttered, shaking out a copy of the Daily Prophet. "Why he thought he could handle one girlfriend, never mind two, is a mystery to me."

"And he claims to be the Arithmancy whizz," Terry said derisively while everyone laughed.

"Check mate!" Kevin cried over Terry's loud groans.

That night was a full moon and Sapphy, remembering Ocean's advice, took off the moonstone pendant and placed it on the windowsill in a beam of silvery moonlight. She got under the blue silk eiderdown of her bed and greeted Onyx who jumped up to lay on top of her chest for warmth. She rubbed her soft black fur idly and her mind, usually so deliberately occupied, drifted to a boy… Onyx gazed at her with green, half closed eyes and Sapphy stared back vacantly as she lay deep in thought.

He had found her near the edge of the Forest, where she was crying silently with her arms around her knees. The hem of her shimmering, opal coloured gown was muddied, but she was blind to this. She barely knew where she was, or how she had gotten there. She had just had her first vision.

She had been standing next to Jeremy Stretton, her partner, and they were watching the Champions opening the ball. The beautiful lights of the fairies and the drifts of decorative snow sparkled and cast a creamy glow on the complexions of the dancers. She watched Cedric Diggory as he looked into his partners eyes. She had never seen so much joy in someone's smile. And without any warning, Cedric's dead body lay in front of her, right at her feet. His young face was motionless, his eyes completely empty. She closed her own eyes, shook her head and when she looked again he was still there. Another Cedric danced with Cho Chang but this one seemed more real. He looked tangible. She got onto her knees in slow, horrified fascination. She reached out, and her trembling fingertips grazed his cheek. It was ice cold.

Sapphy couldn't remember anything between then and the Forest, but later Jeremy asked why she was gone from the Great Hall when he had turned to ask her to dance. She had run far away from what she had seen, and collapsed in the grass, desperately trying to convince herself that it was all right, that it wasn't real. But she knew with absolute certainty that it was. She sat there for a long time, feeling herself slowly dissolve into the coldness and the dark. Then someone was beside her, bathed in a crimson glow. Reality was dim by then. She felt like she was in one of the intricate, lucid dreams she sometimes had.

"Are you ok?" Blaise Zabini asked. "Sapphire?" She could remember how strange her name had sounded when he said it. His voice was like velvet. His face was structured so beautifully, dark, luminous skin pulled taut over the prominent bones of his cheeks. His lips were impossibly full. He reached out to touch the chilled flesh of her arm. His hand was so warm.

"You'll freeze here," he said. And that was when she pulled his warmth towards her, grasping his hand, his arm, touching his chest, his neck, his face. Feeling how every sinew in his body zinged with energy, with being alive. As soon as their lips met, she knew it wasn't a dream. But her body seemed to take over. When his teeth bit into her bottom lip, she pulled away. His slanted eyes were full of fire. She stumbled to her feet and ran.

She never told anyone. She sent Nan a letter about the vision, and got a sad reply. Ocean had always hoped that Sapphy would be spared from this kind of knowing, but she had to tell her that yes, it would happen, and no, there was nothing she could do. The kiss, however, remained a complete secret.

Only the two of them knew.


	4. Chapter 4: Double-dates and Divination

On the Friday afternoon of the Hogsmeade weekend, Sapphy sat alone in the Ravenclaw common-room, listening to the sounds of heavy rain pelting the roof of the tower and, from far off, a rumbling of thunder. She had a well needed free period to catch up on her Charms homework while the others were in a double lesson of Arithmancy. There were only a few other solitary students dotted here and there and the common-room was pleasingly quiet. She took a moment to look up from _Achievements in Charming_ to glance out of the nearest window at a moody sky full of bruise coloured clouds - she loved storms.

The peace was broken as the door opened and two voices could be heard talking softly as they wandered near to where she was sitting. Familiar voices, she soon realised.

"I'm surprised that you have the time to tutor me" said Artimus as he sat down in a near-by chair. "It must be tricky, with your Head Boy duties and N.E.W.T.'s and no more time turners. It really is a terrible pity that they all got smashed to smithereens. I had planned to use mine to give myself terrible frights this year, once I had passed my Apparition test." He sounded uncharacteristically morose. "It's good for the heart to be frightened regularly, you know."

"Yes, well… er," came the sound of Perry's voice, sounding oddly strangled. "I need the tutoring experience." He cleared his throat nervously. "I - I want to teach. When I leave school."

This was news to Sapphy - who still hadn't been spotted. She knew she was eavesdropping and that she should announce herself, but overhearing this conversation - between her tortuously shy brother and the wonderfully eccentric Artimus - was too good an opportunity to miss. So instead, she sunk lower in her seat and listened intently.

"Really? Which subject?" said Artimus, and Sapphy could hear him noisily opening a packet of something. "Cockroach cluster?"

"Oh, no… thank you." Perry sounded like he was about to be sick and Sapphy suppressed a giggle with difficulty. "Astronomy, actually." Her brother sounded very nervous, but this wasn't surprising. Social situations were an enormous effort for him.

"Ah, the stars," said Artimus through a mouthful of cockroach cluster. "_'The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.'_ A quote by some-one or other. A muggle fellow... frightfully good writer, actually."

This time, Sapphy could hear Perry suppressing a laugh himself. "Yes, I like him too," he said. He sounded wistful. "Well, I suppose we'd better… shall we look at your alchemy homework?"

"Oh yes," said Artimus and there was a rustling noise as he produced some parchment. A slight pause followed.

"Well this looks… this is all finished," Perry said, sounding impressed.

"Yes," Artimus agreed. "I imagine it's probably correct, too." There was a longer pause as Perry read the essay.

"

It certainly looks that way," he decided finally. "So, are you- are you looking forward to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" Sapphy felt a momentary swell of pride for her brother for making such an effort.

"Oh no, I'm actually going to stay in the castle," said Artimus. "I bought some very potent Peyote from Luna Lovegood last week and it's really best to take it when people are out of the way." He chuckled. "Though the first and second years may get a bit of a shock."

Sapphy cringed. She was sure hallucinogenic drug-taking was probably against Hogwarts rules and she wondered how the Head Boy was going to react to this admission.

"Oh- well, that sounds like... fun," he said weakly.

"Yes, it rather is. Would you like to join us?" asked Artimus politely.

"Maybe next time," Perry said, and Sapphy had to bite down on her fist to stifle her laughter now.

"Yes, over Halloween perhaps. There are some wonderful mushrooms that grow in the forest, we pick them every year."

"Right," said Perry. "Incidentally, Artimus… are there other, er, substances like that being sold in the school?"

"Well, yes. What are you looking for?" Artimus asked, all innocence. "The Hufflepuffs make excellent good use of their Herbology skills, they grow very nice stuff indeed. And I'd ask the Gryffindors if you're looking for amphetamines - though since the Weasley twins left it's not as easy to come by. The Slytherins are coke-heads, obviously," said Artimus.

"Obviously," Perry echoed faintly.

"And you probably know Duncan Inglebee sells LSD, he's in your year isn't he?"

The sudden knowledge that his own dormitory was stashed full of acid seemed to be the final straw for poor Perry.

"Right," she heard him say eventually in a choked voice. "Well… ha- have a good weekend Artimus," he said and Sapphy heard him break into a half run as he made his way out of the dormitory.

Sapphy was now considering the difficult spot she had put herself in, both metaphorically and physically speaking. She couldn't move without revealing herself to be a spy on their conversation, and she was now feeling very cramped.

"Quite a sweet boy your brother, Sapphy," Artimus said off-handedly, as though her crouched position in the chair behind his was the most natural thing in the world.

"Er...yes," she said with shock. "Yes, he is actually." Her cheeks were burning.

"A family trait, no doubt," Artimus said easily, with a smile.

She smiled back with relief and, looking remarkably like her brother, she too took off from the common-room.

Sapphy awoke with a jolt in the very early hours of the next morning. A crack of lightning illuminated the dormitory for a second before everything was dark again and she lay back down, her heart and mind racing. She had had a nightmare; lightning striking a tower, a flash of green light and she was falling with speed, her breath was strangled as she plummeted, the ground was closer and closer… It wasn't a normal nightmare. It was prophetic. The lightning struck tower was a symbol, a tarot card meaning calamity, chaos, death, destruction; and when inverted, rebirth from the ashes of ruin - creation. Onyx glared at her from the floor; she had been sleeping soundly by her feet and had been awoken as she thrashed. She padded away haughtily as only a cat can.

Sapphy clutched at her throat for the moonstone; but it wasn't there. She felt a swoop of dread for a moment, thinking she had lost it. But when she patted her night-stand table her fingers felt its cool, smooth surface. She held it close to her still thudding heart as she stared through the darkness. She lay like that until the other girls began to stir. The storm was still raging as they sat down to breakfast; their trip to Hogsmeade was going to be a wet one and the mood was quite sombre.

"I don't even feel much like going now, to be honest," said Mandy glumly as she spread liberal amounts of marmalade on her toast. "I'd much rather be by the fire. I really need to do more studying for Potions."

Terry perked up at this. "You can come with Kevin and I, Ant," he said cheerily through a mouthful of scrambled egg. "We can see whether Zonkos have anything to out-do Weasley's Wizard Wheezes."

"I heard they closed down," Anthony replied. He looked at Mandy. "I think I'll stay here, too. Do that Transfiguration essay." Terry looked crestfallen.

"Go, Anthony," Mandy said irritably. "I really am going to be studying potions, not snogging you. I came third in our last class. Losing out to Granger is one thing, but now Harry Potter is beating me! Harry Potter of all people! He got straight D's last year!" She threw her toast on a plate, stood up and stormed out of the Great Hall.

There was an uncomfortable silence. "Well, looks like it's going to be a day with the lads after all," said Anthony eventually. The boys all grinned at each other broadly and soon they had all gobbled their breakfast and were swaggering towards the Entrance Hall, talking in slightly louder voices than usual.

"Looks like I'm not invited, then," Lisa said. "Mind if I tag along with you and Noah, Saph?"

"Hmmm?" said Sapphy, coming out of a day-dream. "Oh. Of course not, no… Morag, would you like to come with us too?" she asked, and Morag who sat across the table, looked up from a book with reluctance.

"Er… no, Sapphy, but thanks for askin'," she said in her gruff, Scottish accent. "I'm actually staying behind, too. With Artimus. To, er… to study." She looked very shifty.

Sapphy smiled privately at this, before giving a loud yawn. She was still feeling the effects of her broken sleep. They made their way to the Entrance Hall where they got in the queue to be prodded with a Secrecy Sensor by Filch. "It really is bucketing down out there," Sapphy said, eyeing the sleet out of the big, oak doors. She wrapped her blue and bronze scarf snugly around her neck. "It's definitely a day for the bubble-head charm."

"Hmmm?" said Lisa, who was busy ogling Harry, further up in the queue. Ron Weasley was shouting about something, while Filch brandished the Secrecy Sensor at him. Sapphy felt a warm hand on her back.

"You look very cosy," Noah teased with a grin. He pulled her Ravenclaw scarf away slightly so her mouth was exposed and he could give her a quick kiss. "This is Alfie Stebbins," he said, gesturing to the friendly looking blonde boy Sapphy remembered from the Quidditch pitch.

"Hi," said Sapphy with a smile. "You might remember Lisa?"

At the sound of her name, Lisa came out of her Potter-induced revery looking slightly dazed.

"I do, yes," said Alfie and he smiled at Lisa appreciatively.

"Oh yeah… hi," Lisa muttered.

T

he queue shifted forwards and Noah took Sapphy's hand to hold her back while his friend started chatting enthusiastically to Lisa, who seemed slightly nonplussed. "He fancies her," Noah whispered conspiratorially. "Asked if he could tag along and get to know her." He seemed excited to be using his match-making skills. Sapphy groaned. "What's wrong?" said Noah. "She doesn't have a boyfriend, does she?"

"No," said Sapphy, with a deep sense of foreboding. "She's kind of… in love with someone else, though."

Noah looked momentarily startled, but then broke into a mischievous smile. "She hasn't met Alfie, though. Alfie is lovely. _Really_ lovely. In fact, lets just say that if he was a girl I wouldn't be going out with you," he teased, and she gave him a playful thump before taking his hand. Being with him had cheered her up a bit. Once out of the castle though, they were immediately soaked through and shivering from the wind and sleet. They hurried towards the gates with their winged boar statues. "Sod this," Noah called to her over the howling wind. He looked around cautiously. "Lets just Disapparate," he said, with the twinkle of rule-breaking Gryffindor in his eye.

"But we haven't passed our test," Sapphy protested, gesturing towards herself and Lisa.

"You can come side-along," said Noah. "Oi! Alfie!"

Alfie stopped mid sentence and reluctantly looked back at his friend. Noah beckoned and Alfie and Lisa joined them.

"We're going to Disapparate into the village," Noah explained. "We'll bring the girls side-along."

"Cool," said Alfie casually. Lisa looked horrified.

"But I've heard that's very difficult. How long have you even had your licenses? What if we get splinched?" she asked.

"It'll be fine," said Alfie with a shrug. "Max Bingley in our year, you know, the loud fellow who was rude to you at the tryouts? Well he was still sixteen over the summer and I brought him side along with us to Diagon Alley and Noah brought him back."

Noah chuckled. "If we can handle a great big lout like him I think we can manage you two."

Sapphy still felt uneasy and from Lisa's face she knew she felt the same. But it really was very cold, and the long road to Hogsmeade did not look inviting.

"Alright then," said Lisa, looking mistrustfully at Alfie. She took his arm and from his strained expression Sapphy guessed that he might be tensing his bicep.

"Where shall we meet?" she asked with a little smile as she took Noah's.

"Madam Puddifoot's?" Alfie suggested hopefully, looking at Lisa.

"The Three Broomsticks," Li said firmly and everyone laughed. Both girls closed their eyes with dread. Then suddenly, Sapphy felt Noah's arm being jerked away violently and she clutched on. Then there was enormous pressure on every part of her body; she felt as though her eyeballs were popping out of their sockets with the strain. She started to panic slightly, but then it was over, and she stood unsteady and disoriented in the village - just outside the pub. There was a loud popping sound and then Alfie and Li were beside them. Lisa's face was slightly green.

"Oh no…" said Alfie, who was looking at Lisa with concern. "I forgot about the vomiting."

Noah stepped forward, whipped out his wand and muttered "Apneo" as he waved it over Li.

"Feel ok?" asked Sapphy with concern and she nodded.

"How about you?" she asked weakly. "Leave any body parts behind?"

"No I think I'm all here," Sapphy said, suddenly feeling the exhilaration of the experience. She smiled at Noah. "Can we buy you a drink since you arranged the transportation?"

"Certainly," said Noah and they entered the warm, lively atmosphere of The Three Broomsticks.

It was packed with students and three grizzly looking warlocks; for whom everyone was giving a wide berth. Noah and Alfie stopped to say hello to two Gryffindor girls from their year and Lisa took the opportunity to round on Sapphy.

"Did you know about this-this _double date_?" she said in a slightly accusatory tone. "Did you three set it up behind my back?"

"No! Honestly, Li, I didn't know anything about it until it was happening," Sapphy said, feeling a little stung. "Noah only mentioned that he had a thing for you this morning, just before we left."

"Well we're having _one_ drink and then I'm going," Lisa whispered, looking at Alfie warily. "He might be Noah's friend but he's really weird, Sapphy."

"What do you mean?" asked Sapphy with some bewilderment. "I like him."

"How can he fancy someone he's never even spoken to? He's like some - some sort of _stalker_."

The sheer hypocrisy of this stunned Sapphy into silence for a moment. Lisa looked around. "Right, I see some free seats over there by the bathrooms, I'm going to sit down. You get the drinks and then we're staying_ ten minutes," _she said sternly. Then she turned and flounced away to her chosen table. Sapphy sighed and turned towards the bar.

And then she suddenly noticed him; Blaise Zabini was lolling by a pillar, looking at her with his dizzying golden gaze. Her heart started to pound uncomfortably as she avoided his eyes and waited for Madam Rosmerta to serve her. They hadn't been in such close proximity since that first Astronomy lesson and she would have sworn she felt a heat coming from the scarlet glow that surrounded him. After an agonizing few minutes of garbling her order and fumbling with her purse under his stare she finally had four bottles of butterbeer. The problem was that her hands were trembling and she didn't trust herself not to drop them.

"There you are," said Noah, appearing by her side. He took three of the bottles, before glancing sharply at Zabini and moving around so he had put himself in between them. Zabini looked back at him lazily, his expression cold. Sapphy, keen to get away, led Noah over to the table where Li was sitting with her arms crossed. Her face was grim as she watched Alfie approach.

"Sorry, got chatting with Katie about Quidditch," he said as he sat down, seemingly oblivious to the strained atmosphere. "She reckons you're going to flatten Slytherin in the upcoming match."

"Only if Ron Weasley pulls himself together," Noah grumbled. "He's a good egg overall, don't get me wrong, but-"

"Speak of the devil," said Sapphy warningly, as Ron entered the pub with Hermione Granger. They both looked behind them worriedly as Harry Potter followed. He seemed furious and they could hear his irate voice over the lively murmuring of the pub; though they couldn't make what he was saying. Li sat up a little straighter, swiping her windswept dark blonde hair from her face. The atmosphere was very awkward as they all drank their butterbeers. Once the boys finished discussing the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Alfie tried again to engage Li in conversation and was met with cool disinterest. Sapphy was trying desperately to think of a topic to bring up when the door of the ladies bathroom opened and one of the Gryffindor girls from earlier emerged.

And suddenly Sapphy felt icy cold; out of nowhere she remembered one of the images from her nightmare, the blinding burst of green light as she fell backwards. Panic rose in her chest and stomach and yet she felt extremely weak, as though she was about to collapse.

"Sapphy?" Noah asked softly. "Are you all right? You look very pale…"

For a moment she couldn't answer; she was sure she was about to faint. And then her breathing steadied and she felt more stable; though her head was throbbing and she still felt terrified - though of what she couldn't identify.

"I don't feel well," she finally managed to whisper. Noah was looking at her worriedly; he put an arm around her.

Lisa jumped up. "It's ok," she said quickly, "I'll bring you back to the castle." She glanced at the door of the pub, which had just closed behind Harry, Ron and Hermione. She winked dramatically at Sapphy, who realised that Lisa thought she was pretending to be ill. But she didn't care; she just needed to get out of here. She nodded.

"I can bring her back, I'll Disapparate-" said Noah.

"No," Lisa said firmly. "She doesn't look up to it."

"

Well I'll walk with you-"

"It's fine!" said Lisa, loudly. "Just stay here." Even though the weather had worsened, Sapphy was grateful to get outside. She didn't want to have this breakdown, whatever it was, in front of the whole pub. And particularly, not in front of Noah.

"Thanks Saph," said Li cheerily. "That was good thinking." She paused, looking at Sapphy's pale face with confusion. "Oh no…" she said as comprehension spread across her face. "You really _are_ sick." Sapphy clutched at her. She was close to tears.

"Li, I -I feel like something really bad is going to happen."


	5. Chapter 5: An Offer in the Owlery

By the following day, the storm had finally ceased. Sapphy felt nauseous all through breakfast and couldn't manage to eat anything while Lisa shot her looks of concern every now and then. Later that morning, Sapphy sat silently with her friends in the Common Room; she couldn't bring herself to join in while everyone else chatted and joked. Padma entered, looking very serious as she sat down and announced that she had just been at a Prefect's meeting. Everyone looked at her curiously and Sapphy's heart began to thud rapidly as Padma relayed the grim details of Katie Bell's attack. While the others were all deeply shocked, underneath Sapphy's anxiety was a conspicuous lack of surprise, and this was disturbing in and of itself. She couldn't meet Lisa's eye, afraid that her friend might give her a look of reproach.

She had to get out of the Common Room. Grabbing her bag and pushing past some whispering second years, she hurried down the dizzying spiral steps from Ravenclaw Tower and made her way to the sanctuary of the library. It was peaceful; the only sounds were the rustling of parchment, the scratching of quills and the odd harsh whisper from Madam Pince as she prowled between desks on the lookout for any wrong-doing. Finding a solitary desk away from prying eyes, Sapphy sat and began to write.

_Dear Nan,_

_It's happened again. I had a nightmare the light before last, about a lightning struck tower and yesterday I had a horrible feeling, like something really bad was going to happen. Soon afterwards a girl named Katie Bell was attacked - someone gave her a cursed necklace and she is in St. Mungo's now. We still haven't heard how she is, or whether she's expected to recover. _

_I feel terrible, Nan. All that same dread that I had all through the spring of fourth year is back and all the guilt from the summer after. I thought I had finally gotten to the end of those feelings - but it's honestly just as bad today as it was on those days after Cedric's death. _

_I keep thinking about it again. All the times I wanted to stop him in the corridors, to shout at him that he needed to drop out of the Tournament, to get away from Hogwarts, to get out of the country if that was the only way he would remain safe. __I remember what you told me. That once Death has marked someone, that person would be taken. That I couldn't do anything to change it._

_Even so, I tried Nan. I never told you this, but I wrote him letters. I sent them anonymously, with a school owl. They seem like such a measly effort now; they made no difference. On the day before the final task, I looked for him. I hadn't slept for two nights in a row and I wandered around the castle as though I was in a dream. When I found him, my nerve gave out. I thought I had lost my mind and that it had just been a hallucination. I convinced myself that he would be fine, that it was me who was in trouble, who needed to leave. _

_I wish I had told him, Nan. Even if it hadn't changed anything. His ghost visits me again now. I'm scared, Nan. I don't want my Second Sight anymore. _

"Sapphy?" Startled, she looked up. Her eyes were swimming with tears and for a moment all she could see was a blurred shape standing over her. She blinked, and realised it was Perry.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly, bending to her level, his face full of concern. He patted her arm awkwardly. She hesitated. The strong urge to keep what happened a secret battled with a need to confide in someone.

"I've had another vision," she said finally, her voice hoarse. "Well it wasn't a vision," she continued, wiping tears from her face. "More of a premonition."

He stared at her, his jaw tight. "Was it about Mum? Or Nan?"

"No! No, it… it happened just before Katie Bell…" She started to sob.

"Come on, Saph," Perry said kindly. He gathered her things and put them in her bag, before helping her up and away from the gaze of the curious students on either side. They reached the door of the library and he pulled her into a nook in a quiet corridor off the Entrance Hall, where he conjured two comfy, blue velvet upholstered seats with a twirl of his wand. She couldn't help admiring his spell work, even at a time like this. She blew her nose as they sat down.

"It's not your fault," he said heavily. "You're not the one giving out cursed necklaces. You didn't murder anyone." She nodded miserably into her lap.

"Remember what Nan told you? You See things because they _will_ happen. Not because they_ might_ if you don't do something to stop it. You can't change fate." She nodded again.

"Besides, I've just had a meeting with Dumbledore about it." At this, Sapphy jerked her head up to look at him. "The word from St. Mungo's is that she will almost definitely make a full recovery." He beamed at her and, after a loud sniff, she gave him a watery smile in return.

"I feel loads better," she said with another sniff, getting up. "I'm going to go up to the Owlery to send my letter to Nan."

"I'll walk with you," said Perry, giving her a clumsy pat on the back.

But as they walked back past the ajar doors of the library, Perry gave a yelp of pain and began to cough and splutter. Sapphy was alarmed to see blood in his clenched fist as he continued to choke. "Perry?" she cried, stopping to stare at him as he doubled over.

"I'm… fine…" he managed to croak in between coughs, standing up straight again. There was blood on his face, hands and the floor now.

"Oh dear, Mr. Fancourt," came the genial voice of Professor Slughorn. He bore down on them from the direction of the Great Hall, a forgotten napkin still tucked into the collar of the tweed waistcoat that strained across his enormous stomach. "It looks as though you've been hit with a rather nasty coughing hex," he mused, twirling his glorious handlebar moustache as he examined Perry shrewdly. Perry could only nod in reply while Sapphy looked around nervously at the empty Entrance Hall. Who had cast the hex?

"A little debate between siblings perhaps?" chuckled Slughorn, with a knowing wink at Sapphy. "It's not surprising to see two Fancourt's in a bit of a tussle. Darling Ocean has a fiery temper if I remember correctly," he said with twinkling eyes. "How is she? You both must come along to one of my little get togethers. I'm having a Christmas party you know, you simply _must_-"

"Er, Professor - Perry…" Sapphy protested over the hacking coughs, gesturing helplessly at her brother whose face was now quite purple.

"Oh! Goodness, yes, you must come with me to my study, my dear boy" he said, steering Perry in the direction of the dungeons. "I have an excellent batch of cough remedy potion that I've only just brewed for Filius. Too fond of his pipe, the old devil, his little lungs aren't up to it these days..."

Perry and Slughorn disappeared around a corner and, feeling very confused, Sapphy began to climb the marble staircase and begin the long walk to the West Tower. Upon entering the Owlery she forgot her troubles for a moment as she gazed around at all the beautiful owls perched cosily in their little nooks dotted around the high walls. She loved them, but had refused to leave Onyx behind in first year. Onyx loved the Owlery too and was on her second strike from Mr Filch for sneaking up there and causing mayhem. The owls at home, belonging to Sapphy's Nan and mother, dreaded her return during school holidays.

Careful to avoid any droppings, Sapphy sat down on the cold, hard stone floor to add her signature to the letter along with a postscript.

_P.S. Just heard Katie is likely to make a full recovery. Also, some mystery person has started hexing Perry from around corners for no obvious reason. _

Sighing, Sapphy rolled up the parchment and sealed it with her wand. She stood up and after scanning the walls for an owl to call down she decided upon a small,handsome Elf Owl who swooped onto her arm with grace and held his leg out helpfully. She tied the scroll onto it and with a hoot he hopped to the nearest ledge, flapped his wings and took off.

She watched him grow smaller and smaller in the distance, lost in thought. And without warning a hand grasped her upper arm; she let out a little gasp of fright and turned to find Blaise Zabini behind her, his lurid, scarlet aura blinding her for a moment. She swore loudly and took a few hasty steps backwards. "Why would you sneak up on me like that?" she cried, feeling very rattled.

"I need to talk to you," he said quietly.

"About what?" she demanded. "I thought I had made myself clear the last time. I'm really not in the mood for this today." She made a start to move around him but he blocked her path. Furious now, she tried to push past. But he stood firmly and suddenly her anger was replaced by fear. She shrank back; something had occurred to her. "Y-you followed me," she gasped, glaring at him. "And you hexed my brother?"

He rolled his striking, golden eyes. "I had to get you on your own."

She thought of the unknown dangerous person at Hogwarts who had cursed Katie; of how far they were from the main castle. No-one would hear her if she needed to shout for help. Tremblingly, she drew her wand and pointed it directly into his chest. "Just leave me alone!" she cried and wildly tried to remember the defensive spells she had learned in the DA the previous year.

His eyes never left her terrified face; he looked immeasurably serious for a moment and then all of a sudden he let out a barking laugh. She froze, completely wrong-footed._ I've never seen him smile before_, she thought faintly. His teeth were a gleaming white.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he sneered, shaking his head and looking at her almost pityingly. He swatted her wand away with some annoyance. "And I'm not in love with you either, I know that's what you think." His tone was mocking but soon he looked serious again. "I need your help."

Feeling foolish, she put her wand back into the pocket of her robes. "My help?" she said questioningly, as though she didn't have the faintest idea what he could mean.

"Don't act like you don't know where this is going," he said impatiently. "Your gift. Your Second Sight," he murmured, a hungry expression on his face. "I want you to use it to help me."

She shook her head despairingly. These requests had happened to Sapphy at least once a year since she had started Divination and her reputation as a talented Seer had quickly spread across the school. She had sometimes agreed - and always regretted it. As a young witch, her psychic strength had not fully developed yet, and using her Sight was physically exhausting and sometimes emotionally draining. If the induced vision involved pain or suffering, Sapphy felt it all as if it was happening to her. After she had collapsed from strain while trying to help Euphemia Bode solve the mystery of her father's suspicious death last year, Ocean and Madam Pomfrey had forbidden her from doing anything similar again until she was of age. And even if they hadn't, why would she help Zabini? "You think feeling me up under the desk and hexing my brother is a good way to earn my sympathies?" she growled, crossing her arms.

He swore and his face became a mask of rage; his molten-red aura blazed brighter for a moment. But after taking a few slow, deep breaths he seemed to collect himself. "What I did in the Astronomy Tower was completely moronic," he said in a careful, measured voice. For once, his eyes weren't boring into hers, but fixed on the stone floor. "I'll admit I assumed you would be as easy to... _manipulate_ as other girls, and about that I was mistaken." He sighed heavily. "Even you must admit," he said softly, meeting her eyes again, "that we had a connection. In the forest." She felt her cheeks flush pink and she stumbled backwards, sitting down on the stone ledge behind her as her legs seemed to give way. "I thought I could use it to persuade you." He looked wretched now as he stepped forwards, getting to his knees to be on her level. "I need to know what happened to my father," he said as his voice shook slightly. "He was murdered before I was born-", at this Sapphy flinched as though she had been hit, "- I need to know by whom. My mother is a liar." His jaw tightened and his expression was grim. "No doubt you've heard the gossip about her? Because it's all true. And more."

She had heard of the infamous Madam Zabini. His mother was rumoured to be uncommonly beautiful and to have been widowed seven times under mysterious circumstances, each time bequeathed an amount of gold larger than the last. For a moment Sapphy felt a pang of sympathy for Blaise. Not knowing her own father was the biggest source of sadness and regret in her life. But she wasn't strong enough for this case. There was far too much pain and violence in his story, and following what had happened in Hogsmeade, Sapphy never wanted to experience another vision ever again.

He took out his wand. "I can give you my memories if that would help? I've heard you own a Pensieve." His wand was pointed to his own forehead now, his velvety voice so compelling, his face so intoxicatingly beautiful.

"I can't," she said curtly as she stood and pushed past him.

"I have gold," he called after her in desperation. "And I won't touch you ever again, Sapphire, I promise!"

"I don't need gold," she muttered and as she hurried towards the door of the Owlery she heard him swear again violently. There was a loud blasting noise and she turned in horror to see him standing with his back to her; he was still clutching his wand and the place directly beneath where it pointed was marked by rubble. The owls were flapping and hooting with fright around a large, smoking chasm in the solid stone floor.

Sapphy went to bed early, and was relieve to find the dormitory empty. Her moonstone necklace was on the windowsill, bathed in a pool of silvery light from the full moon. She hadn't worn it the last few nights and, hoping that it would protect her from nightmares, she put it on and got changed before she lay down on her bed, falling almost instantly into a deep, peaceful sleep.

She dreamt she was in the garden of the house she had grown up in; but it was not the wild, overgrown jungle that she knew. Though she recognised the surrounding wisteria-lined stone walls and the swing that hung from the willow tree, this garden was well tended and the grass was short and lush beneath her bare feet. The full moon illuminated everything and she padded about, admiring purple rose bushes, tiny, delicate sweet-pea flowers, the dew-twinkled plum and pear trees and hydrangea bushes bursting with frowsy pale blue and lilac blooms. The night was still and balmy; though her cotton nightdress was thin she was not cold.

She reached a bench; no longer rusted and overtaken by tenacious ivy, it was painted a gleaming teal green. She sat and closed her eyes, breathing in the beautiful smell of lavender that hung in the air. When she opened them, her father was sitting next to her, admiring the garden happily. She gazed at his side profile, recognising it from the moving, framed photographs that she had pored over as a child. His hair was dark and peppered with grey; he hadn't inherited Ocean's large nose as she had, his was small and neat, and the pleasant curve of his lip reminded her of Perry's. He turned his head to look at her, smiling; and she saw her own large, pale grey eyes, though lined, reflected back at her. She returned his smile and held out her hand, which he took. It was warm, and pleasantly calloused and so big it cradled her little one. They sat companionably for a moment.

"This is beautiful," Sapphy murmured, indicating the garden; so familiar and yet unfamiliar.

"Yes, it was my pride and joy," he said, and looked about fondly again. She loved the sound of his voice, so deep and warm. "Poor Atea never did have a green thumb. Perry did his best with it until he went to school though, do you remember?" Sapphy nodded sadly. She could remember Perry hacking fiercely at the weeds and wild grass that had choked everything their father had grown.

"He used to help me out here," Odhran continued. "It was our place to talk things over."

They were quiet again for a few minutes, listening to the pretty song of a nightingale.

"Why am I here, Dad?" Sapphy asked finally. He looked at her with a serious expression now.

"You need to use your Gift," he said quietly. "You need to make something good of it. Reclaim the power it holds, so it's burden doesn't overwhelm you."

She hesitated.

"You're strong enough," he said with a reassuring smile. "I promise you. Help the boy; his story is mirrored by your own. By helping him to heal, you'll heal too."

He squeezed her hand for encouragement. "I love the hair, by the way," he said and she laughed. "Very cool." With one last loving look at her, he stood and she let go. As he wandered away slowly he seemed to dissolve in the night's air.

Sapphy slept on. And in the morning when she awoke feeling more refreshed than she had in days, she knew what she must do.


	6. Chapter 6: A History of Zabini

**_The Moon. The Hanged Man. _****No matter how many times Sapphy laid the Tarot cards out, they spelled the same thing. ****_The High Priestess. Ten of Swords. The Star. _****The cards glowed in the warm candle-light of the Room of Requirement. Ever since she had decided to help Blaise she had been hiding away in The Room, which had transformed itself into a beautiful, high ceilinged chamber with bright cream walls, a sea of flickering candles and a lushly carpeted floor - much more modern than Professor Trelawney's stuffy lair and perfect for a practising Seer. She sat at the table in the Room's centre, where she had spent the last few days trying to delve into Blaise's problem with her favourite deck. She didn't like what they were telling her. ****_Two of Swords. Knight of Swords. Justice. _****And the outcome card… well that didn't make sense at all. She shook her head slightly, deciding not to think about that particular one. **

The meanings of the others were obvious. The Moon represented a mystery to be solved. Laying across it, obstructing progress, was The Empress - a mother figure. Below was The Hanged Man, meaning a recent change in perspective. And above, The High Priestess, a woman with psychic wisdom. This card confirmed for Sapphy that her dream in the garden hadn't just been a dream… and she had been trying to convince herself that it was.

She was the High Priestess, and she would have to help him. But this seemed an almost impossible task. There were so many swords in his past and present. He had a bloodied history that made her feel slightly sick just seeing it there on the cards. It was like his horrible red aura - her whole body was urging her to keep away from him and out of this business altogether.

"And how could _I_ be the High Priestess?" Sapphy asked herself out loud. "She's wise, powerful, mystical… and I cry like a little girl every time I have a vision."

She sat brooding in the peaceful silence for a moment. And then there was a loud thudding that jolted her from her seat. She froze like a frightened hare, her eyes fixed on the wall that joined The Room to the corridor beyond. More thudding, louder this time, and accompanied by a volley of muffled curses. Deciding that the Room would keep her safe, she crept to the wall, and placed an ear against it gingerly.

Whoever was trying to gain entry was still cursing, but their voice was merely an angry murmuring behind the wall… Sapphy closed her eyes and concentrated, imagining that it was glass and she could see straight through. A pale, pinched face crowned with white blonde hair swam before her eyes. Draco Malfoy glared straight at her for a moment. His aura was no longer the unusual, bright silver she remembered. Now it was a dark murky grey, with tinges of thunderous purple that seemed to roil around him as he turned and stormed away.

"So Sapphy, about this Christmas party…"

Sapphy threw her quill down with annoyance. "I've already told you everything I know!" she grumbled, shooting Lisa a glare. "Slughorn didn't mention whether Wayne was going." 'Wayne' was a codename for "Harry Potter" that Lisa had introduced in their second year so she could be free to refer to the object of her affections without being overheard. If anyone was interested in their discussion, she reasoned, they would assume she was in love with Wayne Hopkins, a rather dim Hufflepuff boy who rarely spoke and was utterly harmless.

Professor Flitwick cleared his throat pointedly from where he stood on his stack of books at the top of the Charms classroom. "As I was saying," he squeaked. "You should all nearly be up to scratch on the Augamenti charm now, and after you are tested on it we will be moving onto a very useful little charm that will allow you to change vinegar into wine." Most of the class seemed to perk up at this.

"But did he say anything about guests?" Lisa probed eagerly - for at least the fifth time. A harassed looking Terry shushed her loudly from a few tables over. No doubt he was envisioning the kind of raucous post-exam celebrations a vinegar-into-wine charm might afford them.

"I told you," Sapphy whispered impatiently. "I don't remember."

Lisa sat back and thought for a moment. "Ok… but if you _can_ bring guests, and I need you to find that out for me straight away, I have about a month and a half to get Ha- I mean, Wayne..." she spluttered, glancing behind her with paranoia to where Harry sat three desks behind them next to Hermione Granger. "I have a month and a half to get _Wayne_ to ask me to go."

Privately, Sapphy thought that if Lisa hadn't managed to speak to Harry in over five years worth of Charms lessons together, this was probably rather unlikely. The bell rang and Sapphy hurried to pack up her things and made a dash for the door.

She had a heavy feeling in her stomach as she made her way down the chilly third floor corridor towards History of Magic. A plan had formed in her mind the night before, but it was not a plan she was keen to carry out. As she entered the classroom she saw with a pang of dread that the seat next to Daphne Greengrass at the back of the classroom, usually occupied by Theodore Nott, was empty once again. Nervously and before she could change her mind, Sapphy took it.

Lavender Brown, who had been smiling in welcome at the front, looked away quickly with a slightly hurt expression. Sapphy's feeling of unease doubled.

Daphne gave her a quick, tight smile - though her silvery blue eyes remained cold - and resumed examining a handful of sharp pointy talons. She began to tap each one with the tip of her wand, turning them all a different shade of green. Sapphy noticed how long and graceful her white fingers were, and that they were bejewelled with silver rings of emerald, jade and opal.

"I do try to represent my house through my fashion choices, but green nails are just gruesome, don't you think?" she remarked in a soft, sugary voice. She waved her wand with a slight flourish and her nails were suddenly black and encrusted with what looked like tiny diamonds. "Better," she decided, flipping her silky, dark hair over one shoulder and looking bored as Professor Binns began the lesson.

After considering and quickly discarding several potential ice breakers, Sapphy finally decided on one. "Is Theodore ill today?" she whispered hesitantly.

Daphne arched one dark, perfectly groomed eyebrow and shot her a sharp look. There was an uncomfortable pause and for a minute Sapphy thought her question was going to be ignored completely.

"Theo no longer feels that the education Hogwarts offers will be of any benefit to him next year," she whispered finally. "Apparently his father's rather colourful… _connections_", she continued, her voice dripping with meaning, "will be enough to secure him with the work free, luxurious future he for some reason feels entitled to." She sniffed contemptuously and Sapphy's stomach gave a horrible lurch as it dawned on her what she meant. Daphne smirked, enjoying Sapphy's obvious discomfort, as she used her peacock feather quill to ink her parchment with tiny black stars. Professor Binns, floating a few inches above his seat at the top of the class, began to drone on about Giant Wars, picking up from the place he had finished last week as if there had been no interruption.

"I blame Draco, personally," Daphne continued, a slight edge to her voice. "Where that boy goes, cretins seem to follow. It's an utter tragedy that all these bright, young minds will all be going to waste," she sighed. "Think of the contributions Crabbe and Goyle could have made to the realm of magical scholastics. Blaise is the only one still swotting away," she said with a yawn.

At this Sapphy squirmed a little, and could feel her cheeks turning pink. Daphne looked at her in amusement.

"So it's young Zabini you're curious about. How disappointing, Sapphire. I would have credited you with more imagination than that." She stretched languorously while Professor Binns' monotonous voice went on. "Though you're certainly not the first to fall under the charm of those big, golden eyes. You'll have to fight Millicent Bulstrode off for a start." She snorted nastily at the thought of this. "But haven't I seen you canoodling with that Proudlock boy?" Her voice was cold, now. "Pretty dishy, for a mudblood."

Sapphy gritted her teeth and decided not to give Daphne the reaction she was looking for. "What do you know about Zabini's background?" she whispered.

"What's it worth?" Daphne shot back with a smirk.

"Gold?"

Daphne looked at her pityingly. "I have enough of that."

"I'll do your homework for you?"

"Hannah Abott has that covered," she said in a bored voice. "I know quite a hilarious secret of hers that will get around if she refuses."

Sapphy glanced over at Hannah who had shadows under her eyes and seemed on the brink of collapse onto her copy of _A History of Magic_. Sapphy paused, pretending to think. "I'll read your palm," she said eventually, in a tone that suggested that this was the last resort.

Daphne looked at her appraisingly. Sapphy could tell she was trying to keep a poker face, but there was an unmissable glint of eagerness in her blue eyes.

"Alright," she said, stretching out one of her beautiful white hands with barely a glance at Professor Binns. Both girls knew he was unlikely to notice if they burst into raucous song and dance so a little palmistry probably wouldn't be a problem.

Relieved, Sapphy took Daphne's hand and began to examine the lines of her palm and testing the little mounds under her fingers for firmness.

"High, firm mount of Jupiter," Sapphy murmured. "That means a lot of intelligence, ambition… You'll be a leader in whatever you choose to do."

Daphne didn't look surprised at this.

"Low mount of Murcury, an interest in aesthetics, poetry, art. And prominent mount of Luna, lots of creativity. High, soft mount of Apollo - a people person, proud, manipulative. You'll do… something in the media?"

She had guessed right. Daphne was looking at her hungrily.

"Yes, I want to start my own magazine," she whsipered. "I've written a few articles for the Prophet already, you know, from a student's perspective... and Barnabas Cuffe says I'm a natural. Witch Weekly is such a rag that there's a big gap in the market for a proper magical fashion magazine, with an edgy gossip column. Not full of boring old recipes and house-hold spells." She looked cunningly at Sapphy. "I could use a good Seer slash Agony Aunt section, too. If you ever need a job…"

Sapphy couldn't help smiling ruefully at her shameless hustling. "I'll send you an owl if I do. Anyway, your heart line…"

At this, Daphne snatched her hand back.

"That's alright," she snarled. "I've heard all I need to know."

Sapphy smiled. "And I've seen all _I_ need to know. You've been betrayed in love… and with an old friend?"

Daphne looked furious now.

"Hmmm, I seem to recall you and Pansy Parkinson being inseparable until around our fourth year. And from what I saw… it looks like this boy who drove you apart back then is going to come back into your life."

She waited a moment to let a glimmer of hope shine in Daphne's eyes - before squashing it.

"The line crosses through your heart, friendship _and_ family line. You have a younger sister, don't you?" There was a confused pause as Daphne glared at her suspiciously.

"Well, my guess is that Draco is going to marry _her_. Unless, of course," Sapphy grinned. "_Mrs. _Greengrass has a taste for younger men?"

Daphne had tears of rage in her eyes now, and her breathing was shallow, her face thunderous. "Very well played, I must admit," she spat.

"Yeah, I'm pretty happy with how we stand now," Sapphy said pleasantly. "You don't tell anyone that I asked about Blaise, I don't tell anyone that you're still in love with Draco Malfoy, that he dumped you for Pansy… and that he was always a little more interested in your little sister, anyway."

There was a lull as the two girls glared at each other and Professor Binns took a deep breath - before continuing in a voice even more boring than before. In the seat in front of them Hannah Abbott had dozed off; she was drooling onto a copy of _A History of Magic_ by Bathilda Bagshot.

"So Blaise," Sapphy prompted. "His background, please."

Daphne shot her a nasty look and tried to compose herself. After some fiddling with her compact mirror, she took a deep, unsteady breath and began.

"His father was a wealthy Italian Count of very pure blood - descended from the Boleyn's on his mother's side apparently. He caused quite the scandal when he chose Madam Z as a wife, because she's not exactly from an aristocratic background," she murmured. "There have been rumours that she's not even fully human... but _part Veela_." Sapphy could tell that Daphne was starting to enjoy this juicy gossip session now, despite herself. "I mean, a black woman with such bright blonde hair is pretty unusual. Her maiden name is Cleo Shafiq. You'd know about them, they're a very old wizarding family." Sapphy shrugged. Though she was pureblood her own family had never cared about such things.

"Anyway, Count Mortimer died a few weeks after Blaise was born," Daphne continued, casually inspecting her nails again. "Fell from the highest tower in their little _castello_." Sapphy shuddered inwardly. "But what Madame Z didn't know was that her poor dead hubby had another son, an eighteen year old boy, the Viscount Luca Zabini. He had been stashed away at Durmstrang the whole time, and sent to stay with relatives during the holidays," Daphne smirked. "Zabini Senior knew she was only interested in the inheritance, and he was so desperately in lust with her that he had left out the part about the other heir and Blaise only being the spare. So when the son returns home, what does good old Contesse Cleo do?" Daphne smiled gleefully. "She seduces him and convinces him to marry his own step-mummy."

"One thing you have to admire about Cleo Zabini - pure, unadulterated tencacity," said Daphne. "Yeah, that's one word for it," Sapphy muttered, rolling her eyes.

"The young guy didn't last too long, either. By all accounts, he was a whiney, snivelly little thing with a nasty temper. About a month into the marriage he got into a duel with his best friend, who apparently had offended him by insulting his virtuous wife." Daphne snickered. "His friend denied ever doing anything of the sort, but I don't need to be a Seer like you to guess who might have told Luca he did. He wasn't exactly a duelling champion, and got in the way of his own confunding spell and somehow managed to break his neck… what an idiot."

The bell rang, and Sapphy was relieved not to have to hear anymore. "We'll have to reconvene next class," she muttered, as nearby slumbering students began to rouse. Sapphy nodded curtly at Daphne and walked out of the classroom. She was halfway down the corridor when she heard Daphne calling out.

"Sapphire, wait-"

She stopped, glancing around nervously as students and teachers milled past. She didn't particularly want to be spotted gossiping with Daphne Greengrass.

"Why did he choose Pansy?" she asked imploringly. All her bravado was gone now. She was just a heartbroken girl. "What does she have that I don't?"

Sapphy sighed. "Do you really think _you'd_ be his type? Draco Malfoy isn't exactly going to appreciate a successful, ambitious woman. My guess is that your sister is about as vapid as Pansy and as pretty as you?"

Daphne gave a hollow laugh and nodded. "I hope you enjoyed part one of A History of Zabini," she said bitterly. "Part two and three are even better," she said over her shoulder as she turned and walked away.


	7. Chapter 7: Spooks and Books

As October drew to a close, the castle had become uninvitingly chilly and Sapphy found her body heavy and uncooperative as she struggled out of bed for Monday morning's Divination class. She trudged downstairs for a sleepy breakfast and still felt only half awake as she made her way past the portrait of Sir Cadogan near the top of the North tower. "Good morrow, gentle lady!" he called, planting his sword with vigour in the grass of his portrait before attempting to lean on it casually and falling over with a loud clank.

"Morning Sapphy," said Artimus through a yawn as she joined him and the rest of the class below the round trap door at the top of the spiral staircase. He was pale and had shadows under his eyes.

"You look about as tired as I feel," she sighed, dumping her bag on the floor and propping herself up against the stone wall.

"I was up quite late finishing my Alchemy homework," he explained. "An essay on the link between gold and eternal life outlined by the Vedas texts." He leaned back against the wall too, smiling dreamily to himself.

"Interesting topic then?" said Sapphy as she watched him seem to drift pleasantly off in thought.

"Oh, not at all," he murmured distractedly. "Very long and tedious, really..." She waited for him to elaborate but he was staring with unfocused eyes through the window opposite them, still smiling and looking uncharacteristically vacant. Slightly puzzled, Sapphy decided to leave him to his revery.

Before long, the silver ladder leading to the trap door unfurled itself elegantly at their feet and the students climbed up into the hot, dimly lit attic. Sapphy was thinking that the incense-thick air would not be very conducive to staying awake when she noticed Professor Trelawney. She was hunched over strangely at one of the furthest round tables in a corner with her back to the room and hooded in a black cloak instead of her usual shawls. Sapphy and Artimus glanced at each other worriedly. While Trelawney's behavior had always been odd, this year she had definitely been acting even more deranged than before.

Once they had all settled and a perturbed silence fell over the students, Trelawney rose slowly, and lowered the hood. There was a long, tense pause and when she finally turned around some of the girls screeched in horror and Sapphy's breath caught in her chest. What they saw was an unfamiliar, hideously ugly face; her eyes were milky blue and crossed, sunken into deep, jaundiced looking hollows. Her cheeks were scabbed and sagging and when she cackled at their terror they could see that she was missing most of her teeth. At first Sapphy was wildly sure it was a hag who had somehow managed to get into the castle, but the more she stared in horror the more she could recognise Trelawney's old features underneath.

"Professor?" weeped Parvati. "What's happened to you?"

"Time!" crowed Trelawney gleefully. Her voice was raspy and broken. "The slow but sure decay that comes for us all. What you look upon is the face of the crone, the Wise Woman. She was once as young as yourselves," she croaked, hooding her face again and spinning in a hobbled semicircle. Mid way through the turn, her movements became suddenly elegant and she removed the hood to reveal another face, framed by long flowing locks of auburn hair. Her skin had become smooth, her eyes were bright and clear and her posture had straightened. The class gasped, utterly captivated by seeing a sixteen year old Trelawney.

"Year by year, time took some of her beauty and left some wisdom in it's place," Trelawney said in her new girlish voice, and she twirled once more to greet them as her familiar self at last. "You may find the crone frightening but there is much you can learn from her. What date is it, this Saturday coming?" She rounded on Megan Jones, who seemed baffled by this abrupt change of subject.

"October 31st?" she tried uncertainly.

"Indeed! The ancient festival of Samhain, or Hallow'een as we know it now. The dark winter half of the year commences on this spirit night. It is a liminal time when the mundane laws of time and space are temporarily suspended, and the Thin Veil between the worlds is lifted." Trelawney was sweeping the room with energy and visibly enjoying the rapt attention of her audience.

"Even Muggles honour the Dark Mother on this night. They dress as crones and ghouls, and carve pumpkins to look like protective spirits to guard them from the spiritual chaos. Communicating with ancestors and departed loved ones is easier at this time, and Hallow'een is also known as the Feast of the Dead."

Her voice had dropped to a reverent hush and the class leaned forward collectively to hear her better. "In olden days, single candles were lit and left in a window to help guide the spirits home. Extra chairs were set to the table and around the hearth for the unseen guest. And the possessors of the Inner Eye may receive rather more visitors than are welcome..." She gazed around at them with satisfaction as a shudder seemed to ripple around the class from student to student.

Sapphy was very familiar with such visitors. When they were children, Perry would indulge her for the odd game of exploding snap or wizard's chess now and then before shutting himself away with a book. Consequently Sapphy would spend hours playing long and elaborate imaginary games by herself. One October day, she had heard a child's voice calling out for help. It was coming from an old dried up well that lay in the outskirts of their garden. Alarmed and knowing that she was forbidden from getting too close in case she fell in, she had ran to the house and alerted Nan who had hurried with her to the scene and peered in but found nothing there.

On Hallow'een, Sapphy had been running past the same spot when she was astonished to see the mischievous, freckled face of a girl about her age grinning at her as she peeped around the corner of the well. The girl introduced herself as Effie and immediately joined in with Sapphy's game.

Delighted with her new playmate, Sapphy had regaled her family with stories of their adventures. The adults and Perry had privately called Effie "Sapphy's imaginary friend" until Sapphy's mother had unearthed an old account of a death of a servant's child by drowning while she was researching the history of the house. After that, Sapphy's secret game of filling a basket full of food and toys before lowering it on a rope into the well didn't seem quite so lighthearted.

Effie was her first visitor but there had been others. Her great aunt Perpetua had dropped in for a Hallow'een chat a few times. And then there were the many nights where Sapphy awoke to find Cedric Diggory sitting on the end of her bed, looking lost and terrified.

"Such theatrics," whispered Artimus by Sapphy's side as Trelawney shrieked and pointed to the pouffe beside Lavender Brown and declared that her departed rabbit Binky had joined them 'from Beyond.'

"At least I feel wide awake now," Sapphy muttered. Her heart was still beating unusually fast. She tried breathing slowly and concentrating on the lesson.

"For a Seer like myself, the spirits don't need to leave a permanent imprint of themselves on the earth, like the poor tortured ghosts who join us here at Hogwarts. At this time of year, anyone who has been lost may cross over to converse with those with the senses to perceive them. Last Samhain I was joined by the spirit of Boudica, here in this very room…"

Lavender stopped sobbing over Binky to stare at Trelawney in awe. Sapphy stifled a nervous giggle. They spent the next hour sitting in a circle, holding hands and listening to Trelawney as she claimed that various Historical figures had "crossed over" and were pacing around the attic.

As the class came to close, Sapphy packed up her belongings slowly. "I'll see you at dinner," she told Artimus. He looked curious but didn't question her and joined the last of the class as they clambered out of the trap door.

Trelawney was sitting in her favourite chair, pouring luke warm tea and humming to herself out of tune. Sapphy could tell she was in an excellent mood after frightening everyone so much. "Professor… I wanted to ask you something," she said, fidgeting with the sleeve of her robes.

"Oh?" Trelawney surreptitiously added a generous glug of something from a bottle to her tea-cup. "No doubt you are wondering what other famous spirits have contacted me from Beyond, my dear." She smiled smugly and took a long gulp.

"Actually… I was curious about whether… whether someone might be able to invoke the spirit of someone they have never met. Deliberately call a particular person, I mean."

Trelawney gazed at her for a moment. "There is a way. But it is ill-advised for a young person to try it. It is not only draining to the mind, body and spirit, but if done incorrectly can also lead to hauntings and even possession. The methodology can only be found in the Restricted section of the library."

"I see…" said Sapphy. "I really am interested in reading about it Professor. Just reading about it," she said, carefully avoiding the teacher's eye. "I thought I might write a bit about it in the essay you gave us for homework."

Trelawney sighed and stretched her feet out in front of the perfumed fire. Sapphy noticed she was wearing odd socks.

"Of course you would be interested. Losing your father in such a tragic way…" She was gazing sadly into the fire. "Well … if you promise that it is _strictly _for research purposes Sapphire?"

Sapphy took a deep breath. "I absolutely promise I would never try to contact my father."

Trelawney stared searchingly at her for a moment. And then, deciding that Sapphy seemed to be telling the truth, she took a piece of parchment from the table and began to write.

**oOOOo**

A History of Zabini: Part Two.

Madame Cleo Zabini met her third husband, Edgar Rosier, in Venice. He was a known Death Eater who eluded the authorities for a few years by travelling around Europe in disguise. But before long, Cleo had grown bored of moving from place to place with a young boy in tow. Upon his wife's wishes, Rosier returned with her to England and was captured not long afterwards. He only lasted a month in Azkaban before driving a rusty nail through his own throat. The Ministry had investigated Madame Zabini thoroughly and found her story of not knowing anything about her husband's illegal activities to be faultless. Given her obvious grief and four year old son, she was allowed to keep her husband's large inheritance.

It was less than a year before she married again; this time to a fabulously wealthy wizard who turned eighty-five on the day of the wedding. According to rumour, Sebastian Selwyn was no fool when it came to deciphering the motivation of his young, beautiful wife. The two had reached an "understanding", Daphne had explained, her voice dripping with emphasis. They lived together for almost three years, and were by all accounts very happy together splitting their time between his lavish estate in Somerset, his townhouse in London and his apartments in Morocco until Selwyn became too ill to travel. Cleo nursed him faithfully for months and cried what looked like real tears of anguish at his funeral. But then again, Cleo's tears always looked real.

It was possible that she had been fond of Sebastian, Daphne had said, but no-one who saw them together doubted that she had definitely fallen in love with husband number five. His name was Thierry Auger, a dazzlingly handsome French man who was in London on business at Gringott's bank. They married after an unusually short courtship, said Daphne, and before long rumours began to spread that Auger was a gambler and Cleo's enormous fortune was dwindling in his hands. One evening she travelled into the city from their country home to find him in her bed with a much younger woman. The courts heard her tragic account of what had happened next: upon realising that her lover was a married man, the young lady had stabbed him with a shard of glass from a broken mirror before turning it on herself. Cleo had miraculously survived without a scratch.

**oOOOo**

Sapphy wandered slowly through the castle on her way down to dinner. She was hoping to spot Noah. Eventually she came across Alfie and Max Bingley horsing around in a group of Gryffindor boys in the Transfiguration department. She hovered near them uncertainly for a moment, watching them wrestle.

"Hi Sapphy!" called Alfie, noticing her. He casually shoved Max onto the floor before walking over to her. "I've barely seen you since Hogsmeade! Where have you been hiding?"

The Room of Requirement, she thought to herself.

Alfie didn't wait for an answer. "You look like you've recovered from whatever you had that day at least. It was weird! One minute you looked completely normal, and the next you went as white as a sheet…"

Sapphy froze. They were all looking at her now and she could feel herself going very red.

"She probably had diarrhoea and doesn't want to talk about it," suggested Cormac McClaggen, nodding understandingly at Sapphy. "Butterbeer always has that effect on me."

"Well… Madam Pomfrey sorted me out in no time!" said Sapphy shrilly. She fought a very strong urge to run away. "Anyway, I was wondering-"

"Actually Sapphy, there was something _I_ wanted to ask _you_…" said Alfie conspiratorially. He led her away from the others.

"Your friend Lisa," he began. "I've tried talking to her a few times, when I've bumped into her. But she's always in a big rush going somewhere or other."

There was a pause. Sapphy shuffled her feet, feeling very uncomfortable.

"So… I think she probably doesn't like me, that way. But I was hoping… maybe she's just shy?"

Sapphy sighed. "To be honest Alfie, it's actually both."

"Oh…" he looked crestfallen for a moment.

"Sorry," said Sapphy quietly.

"Ah well," he said. "Can't be helped… and I know now. So could you tell her she doesn't need to avoid me anymore? We might as well be friends, since you and Noah are so nauseatingly smitten with each other."

Sapphy smiled. "Do you know where he is by the way?"

"He's behind you, actually."

She turned around to find him exiting a classroom door to their left, grinning broadly. "My two favourite people!" he exclaimed, grabbing them in a hug.

"I'm telling your parents you said that next time I'm over," warned Alfie. He rejoined the others.

Noah bent down and kissed Sapphy gently. Then he took her hand and they began to meander through the castle. Sapphy noticed Romilda Vane and her friends whispering and staring at them as they passed by.

"Had to talk to McGonagall on how to get my Transfiguration grade up," said Noah, seemingly oblivious to the attention. "I've decided I'd like to apply to be an Auror when I leave." He smiled shyly at Sapphy.

"That's so cool!" she exclaimed, squeezing his hand. "You'd be perfect for it."

"Only if I can get the N.E.W.T.s…" he said, biting his lip. "Most of my other subjects are ok, but Transfiguration has really been bogging me down this year. Today we had to conjure a rabbit, but all I made was this weird, blood coloured jelly. It was just wobbling there on the floor, covered in fluff..."

Sapphy couldn't help but laugh. "To be fair, that sounds really difficult… but I'm sure you can get your grade up with a bit of practice. Why don't we do some study tonight in the library?"

"That," he said, throwing an arm around her, "is a great idea. Only thing is, I need to go to a quick Quidditch meeting after dinner."

"No problem!" she said, a little too enthusiastically. She was thinking of the slip of parchment from Trelawney in her pocket.

"I'm sure you can't wait to witness my amazing conjuring abilities in the flesh?"

"Well… bunny jelly sounds kind of fun," she said. She'd probably help him fight a mountain troll if he needed her to, she thought to herself.

They said they would see each other later and Sapphy hurried to join some of the others at the Ravenclaw table and began to wolf down her fish pie at an unnatural speed.

"Hungry then, Saph?" asked Terry. He watched her in amazement as she crammed mashed potato into her mouth.

Lisa squeezed in between them. "Sapphy… Operation Christmas Party. Have you had any updates?" she quizzed, helping herself to some pie. She waited as Sapphy chewed and swallowed.

"Not yet. But I have one about Alfie," she said, eyeing Lisa with some reproach. "He says you've been ignoring him since Hogsmeade."

There was a loud clatter as Terry knocked over his goblet of pumpkin juice. Lisa's cheeks had turned bright pink.

"Well… he was just far too keen."

"Yeah. Lisa only likes boys who never acknowledge her existence Sapphy, you know this," said Anthony wryly.

"Stop eavesdropping," Lisa snapped.

"Well," Sapphy continued. "You don't need to worry about it anymore. He knows you're not interested and he'd like to be friends." She drained her own pumpkin juice.

"You can't be friends with someone you fancy," Morag piped up. They all turned to stare at her in surprise. "Can't work," she said, shaking her head sagely.

"Of course it can," said Artimus from beside her.

"Where are you going?" asked Lisa, looking puzzled.

"I'm meeting Noah to study in a while and I need to do something first," she explained.

"See? This is how it starts," said Terry, jerking his head at Lisa. "You might as well say your goodbyes now." He glared at Anthony who looked unfazed.

Sapphy hurried from the Great Hall to the library. Madam Pince looked even more hawkish than usual as she sat writing something at her imposingly huge desk. The restricted section was behind her. Sapphy suddenly felt furtive, even though she was perfectly entitled to access it. She glanced around but the library was pretty much deserted as everyone was still at dinner. Trying to seem as casual as possible, she began to wander over to the roped off entrance.

"Sapphy!" came a sudden hiss.

She jumped and even let out a little shriek. Madam Pince's head jerked up and peered at her sourly. She felt a firm grip pull her behind a bookcase and she realised it belonged to Mandy, who was doubled over and struggling to suppress a manic fit of giggling.

"Your face!" she whispered. "Muffliato." They both glanced around the bookcase to where Madam Pince was now swatting the air around her head as if trying to shoo a swarm of invisible bees.

"You nearly wet yourself!" chortled Mandy. "What are you doing? Why do you look so sneaky? Are you trying to get ahead for the Christmas exams?" She was staring at Sapphy intently as she fired questions in rapid succession.

"Mandy, please! You need to relax!" said Sapphy with exasperation. She leaned wearily against the bookcase, trying to regain her composure.

"I'm perfectly relaxed, it's you who's up to something. What is it? Non verbal spells? Michael was in here during his free period earlier reading up on them, Flitwick hasn't even finished the winemaking charm and he's-"

"I'm doing an essay for Divination," Sapphy interrupted. "Have you even had dinner?"

"Oh… actually, no. But that's ok, food just slows you down! Makes you too dozy to study."

"There's apple crumble for dessert."

"I'll see you later then," said Mandy immediately, and with that she practically ran out of the library.

Madame Pince had stopped investigating the source of the buzzing noise, and was now wheeling a dusty book trolley from desk to desk. Sapphy tiptoed past her, into the Restricted section. As she was now at N.E.W.T level she didn't need permission, but she didn't feel like talking to her all the same.

She let herself in the roped barrier, checked the note and began to examine the spines of the books. Some were so withered that it took a while to make out the faded lettering. She discarded _Where Are the Werewolves _by Amaris Ascelin, moved past _Interviewing Inferi _by Mortimer Dante, and through many more, until finally…

"Got you," she whispered to herself. _Discourse With the Dead_, by Ethelinda Nightshade.


	8. Chapter 8: Bites and Fights

Following an increasingly persistent volume of violet ribboned invites from Professor Slughorn and a stern word from Perry about being mannerly towards Hogwarts staff, Sapphy grudgingly admitted that she couldn't avoid showing her face at the so-called 'Slug Club' any longer. So in the Entrance Hall on Wednesday evening she parted from her fellow Ravenclaws who were laughing and joking loudly on their way to dinner and grudgingly began the climb up the marble staircase with Perry instead.

"It's really not so bad," he sighed, his glum tone not quite matching his words. "Last week he brought Gwenog Jones along. From the Holyhead Harpies."

"Perry, you care about Quidditch even less than I do," scoffed Sapphy as she stomped up the steps.

"Alright then, yes it's a bore, but-"

"I don't need another lecture," Sapphy interrupted snippily. "I'm going, aren't I?"

He rolled his eyes and the rest of the walk to Slughorn's office on the sixth floor passed in frosty silence.

"Ah! _Both_ Fancourts at long last!" Slughorn cried happily as he ushered them in. "Peregrine is a sheer delight but I _am_ glad to have finally collected the set," he mused, patting Sapphy's hand. "Your brother has of course told me that it is your dedication to your studies that has kept you. Admirable though you are, one must find time for a little fun now and then!" He chuckled and Sapphy could feel herself turning very red as she felt all eyes follow her making her way to the lavishly set dining table.

The room was spacious and warmed by a fire dancing merrily in a large, marble fireplace opposite them. A spectacular chandelier hung overhead and the moss green wallpaper was barely visible behind the many framed photographs that covered the walls. Various witches and wizards smiled winningly as a Slughorn of gradually larger and larger size shook their hands. The unmistakable sound of Celestina Warbeck was issuing loudly from a gramophone in one corner.

Sapphy took a seat beside Melinda Bobbin, Head Girl from Hufflepuff. She noticed that Melinda was gazing rather soppily at Perry as he sat on her other side and she coughed to cover her grin as she took a look around the table at the other guests. She recognised Hermione Granger at once as well as Cormac McLaggen who seemed to be bearing down on Hermione rather intently on her right. The other girls, Slytherin seventh year twins, Sapphy only knew by sight. They looked her up and down rather pointedly.

"You know the Carrows, Sapphire? Flora and Hestia, this is Peregrine's charming younger sister!" The beady eyed Carrows shook her hand limply in turn.

"And Miss Granger has informed me," said Slughorn, heaving himself into his chair "that the elusive Mr. Potter has been waylaid by Quidditch practise once again, along with Miss Weasley!" Cormac McLaggen crumpled up a napkin rather forcefully at this.

"As for Blaise…" Slughorn trailed off, looking hopefully towards the door of his study. "I've had no word from him."

Slughorn checked a gleaming gold pocket watch and frowned. "Well, we mustn't allow ourselves to starve as we wait. No doubt you are all famished from a hard day's toil!" He waved in a team of house elves who began to serve them all elaborately decorated prawn cocktail.

Sapphy was feeling a peculiar mixture of relief and disappointment as she gazed at the empty chair opposite her over her mountain of prawns. One positive thing she had thought about the Slug Club was that she had been sure she would be able to catch Zabini alone after dinner and finally offer him her help after putting it off for so long. If she didn't do it soon she was afraid that her courage would fail her altogether.

"So, Sapphire," boomed Slughorn, jolting her back into the room. "Your reputation as a burgeoning Seer proceeds you!"

She froze, a spoon of pink glop hovering halfway to her mouth.

"The general consensus among staff and students alike is that you have certainly inherited darling Ocean's talent." Slughorn was beaming at her expectantly.

"Er…" was all she could manage.

"Perhaps, after dinner," he suggested, eyes twinkling over his handlebar moustache, "you might illuminate your fellow Slugs about what lies ahead for the coming year? Such an impressive party trick shouldn't be wasted!"

Perry seemed pained on her behalf but most of the others were looking at her with interest. Hermione Granger however was wearing an expression of veiled scepticism as she pretended to be engrossed by her starter. Sapphy fixed a pleasant smile on her face.

"Unfortunately, Professor, I haven't brought any of my necessary equipment…"

"No matter, Sapphire!" Slughorn laughed. "They can be fetched with a simple summoning charm!"

And so, after seven long courses of overly rich food, Sapphy found herself in the nearest classroom to Slughorn's study with her crystal ball on the desk in front of her. The readings had not gone well. Melinda Bobbin had been driven to tears and one of the Carrows had stormed out. She had just told a bemused McLaggen that he was set to be unlucky in love for the next few months and was heartily glad that she only had one student left to see.

Hermione Granger entered the room, smiling shyly. Sapphy had never forgotten Hermione's dramatic exit from Divination in their third year and, feeling sure that she didn't desire a reading, began to talk about their latest Ancient Runes essay as Hermione sat down opposite her.

After a few minutes there was a lull in the conversation. Hermione looked extremely uncomfortable all of a sudden and as though she were steeling herself to say something.

"So you _would_ like a reading!" Sapphire exclaimed in surprise.

"Well… of sorts," Hermione admitted. "It's silly really. I was wondering if… well…" She was fidgeting with her wand nervously. "Whether you might have an idea as to who gave Katie Bell that cursed necklace?"

Sapphy's stomach dropped. Of course she had wondered who it may have been. Late at night, as the others slept in the dormitory around her she had closed her eyes and concentrated on the question, but the woman's face who swam before her eyes was so obvious, yet so unlikely, that she didn't trust this self given answer.

Hermione was looking at her in an apologetic sort of way.

"I'm afraid not," Sapphy replied eventually. "No idea at all."

Hermione nodded, looking disappointed but unsurprised. She smiled at Sapphy kindly before rising from her chair to leave.

**ooOOOoo**

"So you really can't tell me if we'll beat Slytherin?" asked Noah for what felt like the hundredth time as he and Sapphy made their way through the chilly grounds to the Quidditch pitch.

"You know I can't," she said, grabbing on to his arm and huddling closer for warmth. "I've been banned from making Quidditch predictions since that debacle when Kevin won all the bets he made with Duncan Inglebee." She sighed, remembering Perry's disappointment in her. "Anyway, how would it be fun if you always knew who was going to win? It's pretty boring, let me tell you."

"I'd love to be bored… boredom beats nerves anyday. I keep having this dream where I vomit off my broomstick," said Noah, rubbing his stomach.

"Well, at least you can aim for the Slytherins," she smirked. "Look, I can't tell you who'll win. But I can tell you you'll play really well."

He smiled down at her. "You should probably get back up to school," he said as they reached the Gryffindor changing rooms. "It's too cold to sit in the stands."

He took her face in his big, warm, Quidditch calloused hands and kissed her gently. As she ran her fingers over his forehead, into his hair, he closed his eyes in bliss.

"I love it when you do that…" he whispered.

"Oi, Proudlock!" came a raspy shout, startling them both. "Leave some of that pure-blood pussy for us." It was Urquart, the Slytherin captain, covered in mud and surrounded by five other sniggering team-mates. Zabini, Sapphy saw with a lurch in her stomach, was lagging behind them. He was stony-faced. She felt Noah stiffen.

"I very much doubt you'll be getting _any_ pussy any time soon, Urquart." Sapphy said, as calmly as she could manage. "Pure-blood or otherwise. Not with a mug like that." Noah laughed and she could have sworn she saw Zabini's blank expression twitch into a smile for a second.

"Shut your mouth, you blood traitor slut," growled Urquart, and he spat a glob of disgusting phlegm at her. It landed an inch away from the hem of her robes. Noah made a dash for him.

"Noah, no!" she warned, trying to restrain him as the Slytherins guffawed. Noah pulled free and slammed Urquart against the wall. His leering grin disappeared instantly.

"Proudlock, stop!"

Sapphy wheeled around to see Dean Thomas, Demelza Robbins and and Ginny Weasley, striding over in their Quidditch gear from the door of the changing rooms. Dean and Demelza grabbed Noah's robes and pulled him away. His face was bright red with rage. Zabini had restrained Urquart and was still holding him back.

"The pitch is booked for our practice," Ginny told him angrily. "You're not supposed to be here. Go on, get lost!"

Urquart eyed Ginny menacingly for a second, before pushing Zabini off. He skulked away towards the castle, followed by his cronies who made kissing noises at Sapphy as they passed.

Noah had been dragged out of sight and Ginny looked at Sapphy worriedly. "Maybe you shouldn't walk by yourself," she said, eyeing the bulky backs of the Slytherins.

"I'll walk with her," said Zabini, who hadn't moved. They both turned to him in alarm. "I'm not quite as big of a scumbag as Urquart," he said, rolling his eyes at their expressions.

Ginny seemed about to retort sharply, but Sapphy stopped her.

"It's fine, Ginny, thanks," she said quickly. "We... know each other."

Looking confused, Ginny shrugged and mounted her broom before soaring upwards and arcing gracefully across the pitch with speed.

Sapphy could feel her heart beating nervously as she fell into step with Blaise and they began to walk awkwardly away from the pitch. There was a long, excruciating silence. Once she told him , she thought to herself, it would be much more difficult to back out. Was it really the right thing to do? To involve herself in his gory family history, just because of a dream she had?

"Urquart is scum," Blaise said suddenly. She stared at him. "I mean, with some of the others, I can understand why they are the way they are. If you have a mother like mine it's pretty much guaranteed that you're going to be an asshole. But I think Urquart would have turned out to be an asshole no matter what." He paused, taking a deep sigh. His aura seemed to contract around him. "You said I was prejudiced, that day in Astronomy."

Sapphy didn't bother answering.

"Well, I am… I was. But now that I have proof of what a lying sociopath my mother really is… I'm not so sure whether I give a shit about her purist beliefs anymore."

They were nearing the big oak doors to the entrance hall which had been flanked by huge, elaborately carved Hallowe'en lanterns in preparation for the following night. Sapphy came to a halt in their flickering glow and he stopped too, staring at the ground and looking deeply uncomfortable.

"You don't need to do this," she said coolly. "Try to manipulate me, I mean."

He glanced up sharply, his eyes meeting hers. They burned brightly in the dying light of the evening.

"I've decided to help you," she said curtly. "To try at least. I can't promise anything."

Blaise nodded. He looked dazed.

"There's a spell I've found that might allow us to get in contact with your father," she said, watching him intently. She was hoping he would be outraged or scared and refuse point blank. But he swallowed hard and jerked his head once to indicate his consent.

"We'll need to do it on Hallowe'en night, then. It's the best time."

"The night of the dead," he murmured. "Makes sense."

"And you tell no-one," she said firmly. "You may remember calling my best friend a mudblood in second year and I'm sure you can understand why I would prefer if she didn't see me in your company."

"This isn't exactly something I want publicized either," he retorted before sighing heavily. "I'll keep away from you in public. Whatever you want."

"Meet me here just before the Feast then. Hopefully no-one will notice us that way."

She turned to leave but he spoke again. "For the record, Sapphire. I was trying to manipulate you, but that doesn't mean what I said is untrue."

He watched her as she climbed the marble staircase towards her tower before turning and beginning his descent to the dungeons.

On the walk back to her common room, she reflected on the third part of his story that Daphne had told her…

A History of Zabini Part III

Not long after her fifth husband's gruesome murder, Madame Zabini discovered that she was with child. Retreating to the country house she had inherited from Selwyn, she lay quiet for a spell until her new son was old and healthy enough to be left in Blaise's care. She named him Sebastian, after the husband she had been fondest of.

During a particularly balmy summer when Blaise was conveniently home after his first year at Hogwarts, Madam Zabini met a muggle by the name of Vincent Galahad who, by all accounts, was not the brightest sickle in the bag but had recently inherited a fortune larger than those of all her previous husbands' added together. Galahad had been looking for something to spend his new money on and Madam Zabini didn't mind obliging him with that in the least. Their romance blossomed quickly into marriage but tragedy struck once again in St. Barts on the first night of their Honeymoon. Galahad's death by drowning shocked his muggle friends and family, while Madam Zabini's merely rolled their eyes at needing to press their funeral clothes again so soon.

After winning a tedious legal battle with Galahad's relatives and inheriting his lucrative estate, Madam Zabini seemed satiated at last and three years passed without addition to her little family. While attending the Triwizard tournament, however, she was introduced to a man named Pietr Poliakoff, a handsome, grey haired Russian who had a passion for strong vodka and an accompanying nasty temper. Seemingly charmed by his volatility, Madam Zabini packed up the family and moved to Russia to have a lavishly decadent wedding. She wished Blaise to attend Durmstrang, where Pietr had sent his own sons, but Blaise refused and instead chose to remain at Hogwarts.

It didn't take long for the paradise in the Poliakoff household to show signs of trouble. After receiving some concerning letters from Sebastian, Blaise decided to pay his mother and stepfather a little Christmas visit, unannounced. His lack of fanfare in arrival allowed him to witness a violent incident that resulted in his latest stepfather getting in the way of a killing curse. Upon performing _priori incantem_ with the wands found of the scene, the authorities recognised that Blaise had been acting in self defence, and he was cleared of all wrongdoing. But the undeniable reality was that Sapphy had just agreed to help a killer.


End file.
